Friday, October 19, 2012

As I managed to secure a distinction in my final examination of my first year MBBS, I've been back to my college for third semester (a.k.a second year) study.

We are learning certain new subjects, they are pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, community medicine, medicine & surgery. We started posting everyday morning in which we are required to visit the ward and sometimes the operation theatre.

Here comes the main thought I wish to voice out now: As we started the posting, we bought stethoscopes and brought it with us because we might need it to auscultate the patients in the ward during the posting. Doctors asked us to get fully equipped while entering the ward to "disguise" as doctor while interacting with the patients so that they are not aware of the fact that we are just medical students. Therefore, each of us hanged our stethoscope around the neck and put our two hands inside the pockets of our white coat, smart looking indeed.

I did the same thing too, otherwise the patients wouldn't have been willing to speak with me. However, I'm just not feeling quite comfortable to do so. I'm just a third semester student who knows nothing much about the condition of the patients. I don't know how to relieve their pain and grief whenever they complaint something to me, let alone any treatment.

I'm just not fond of taking and showing some photos of mine posing smart in the white coat with stethoscope, or posing cool in the surgery gown with the face covered by a mask and the hair covered by a surgery hat, as if I'm already capable to treat patients.

I can understand the reason my friends around myself have been doing so. We are excited by the fact that we are going to be doctors in the future. We want to be a part of the career we are going to traverse by labeling ourselves prior to that. It is a sense of self-involvement, a sense of pride in what we are doing.

Sometimes it bears more responsibility than to portray ourselves to the public as doctor-to-be. Do reflect on whether our current ability can actually match the prestigious image. It is never too late to show our titles to others.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails