The bubble has burst

So, I finished my pscyhiatry placement and am now in General medicine for seven weeks. It is the end of my first week now and I have had my bubble well and truly burst.

We arrived on the EMU (Emergency Medical Unit) which is a bit like casualty but with medical patients) on Wednesday afternoon and it was like walking into a circus. No-one asked us who we were or what year we were in, they just saw that we had pink student badges around our necks and told us to "Go and clerk that patient on trolley 3"

Now then, my clinical partner is an ex physio and we also have a playmate with us on this placement from Germany. He is a final year medical student who for some obscure reason, decided to come to the East Midlands on his elective (Poor Sod was obviously told that it was a lovely part of the world)

So the three of us (Who have never clerked a patient in or seen anyone else do it) shuffled to the trolley as directed. On the trolley was a 35 year old women with a left hemiparesis who had been brought in fours hours earlier by her husband (He had a nice suit on and we were terrified that he was a consultant)The look of relief on their faces when they saw us was massive (Oh God, if only they knew) so I sat down and went through my patient history headings (Listed below for anyone who might want to know these things)

Presening complaint
History of presenting complaint
Past medical history
Drug history
Social history
Family history

Our German friend was then pushed forward to do the physical bit. He decided to do a neuro exam and proceeded to test her cranial nerves, motor tone and power. We then shuffled back off, leaving her oblivious to the fact that we didn't have a clue what was wrong with her and that she would have to go through it all again when the FY1 was available.

What a joke - is this how they think they are going to train us? What the hell happened to "See one, do one, teach one"?