"The speed of your success
is limited only by your dedication
and what you're willing to sacrifice."
-Nathan Morris, Financial Coach and Writer
As a fourth year medical student, I have found a greater appreciation for and the practice of medicine. Monday will mark the start of my third week and never did I imagine how much I would love this experience minus the 'pimping'; although it has allowed me to decrease my response time and allowed me to improve the skill of thinking on my feet when faced with back to back succession of questions.
My first two weeks consisted of practicing history taking, seeing how much things which I considered "necessities" I could stuff into the two small pockets of my white coat, approximately 5 codes, 2 of which I actively participated in and realized that in the heat of the moment, saving a life or doing as much as I can to assist in the resuscitation process gives one a greater sense of what it means to be a doctor and how fast things can deteriorate unexpectedly.
After a full week of witnessing first hand, the facets of death I have found it hard to grasp how easily my seniors have become desensitized to the needs of their patients. It's heartbreaking to stand with a team as the care and management are discussed with patients and their families casually as if they're not even human, having to later return to their bedside to apologize for someone's poor use of a word or the rude manner in which they addressed a patient. As a student, I have been blessed to have been apart of a system, that diligently works to change the mindset of the medical students and future Physicians, ensuring we learn how to properly and professionally communicate with patients, their families and most importantly to each other.
It's easy to see that when a system fails which seems to be the case in most third world countries where the public sector is burdened by overwhelming numbers of patients and inadequate levels of supplies and equipment, how one can become detached from the humanistic aspect of care; but at the same time it is no excuse to practice bad medicine or to deprive patients from treatment based on what one perceives to be their financial status. As the weeks pass and patients leave the service, a little piece of their history remains with me and I am able to address another with a bit more care and concern than the last.
Medicine requires a lot of sacrifice, commitment to service and the ability to get along with not just my peers but also everyone who is apart of the care and management of each individual I have the privilege of speaking with and examining.
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