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Diaryland
; J.Gan



2009-09-06 : -
It's tough to be a doc-in-training, and even more so to be a qualified practitioner. For the medical professional is constantly under scrutiny, by both his colleagues and the public, and it can arguably be said that that his private and professional lives can never truly be kept separate.

I guess that last statement is true for most professions, but somehow I think it affects the medical profession more than others. Medical practitioners seem to be held by the public in such high esteem, and somehow seem to be expected to be infallible, morally incorruptible and ever-courteous. They're also expected to provide services on-demand (or at least with short waiting periods) inexpensively, and not to let anybody die.

It seems so unreasonable sometimes, if you view it from a doc's perspective. It's like you're expected to be a super-person, albeit with only your brain, your Self and a battery of medical tests and tools. Not exactly the most confidence-inducing armada with which to do daily battle with medical problems, patients and their relatives.

It's perfectly understandable from a patient's or relative's view, though. In matters of life and death, most people are understandably anxious, as are their relatives. As a mentor of mine once said, when people are emotional, they aren't at their most rational. It's not surprising, then, that they single-mindedly pursue their objective of care for themselves or their loved ones, sometimes to the extent of being pushy or unreasonable.

For me, putting it all in perspective like that helps, somewhat. It's easier not to dwell on the bad, and to see the good that you're doing. I see Bad Stuff as the status quo, and any good I do as benefit to the patient that wouldn't have come about if I hadn't done it. So any good you can do is good. That way, I can look at all the good I've done, instead of all the Bad Stuff all around that never seems to end. It's much better for morale.

The personal life thing is rather bad, really. Nothing you do in public can ever really remain unknown by your patients, because the guy who you shouted at for putting a dent in your car today could be your patient tomorrow.

Okay enough about the difficulties of being in med now.

Life is not bad so far. It's great to be living so near to CGH during a long posting. It means that I don't waste as much time on travel!

Surgery is a time-sucking monster. It's bad. I need 3-day weekends. And something satisfying to fill them with.

written at 12:21 p.m.

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