So, let’s say the dozen of students who had been deeply encouraged by their enriching palliative experience in Taiwan deserved to ignore the lecturer, we still have more than 80% of the class. They chose to ignore this one simply because it is not coming out for the exam, and maybe most medical students care more about diagnosing rather than the totality of management itself, which palliative care is a part of.
I agree that I am being self-righteous when I label my coursemates as kiasu. But sincerely, the reason for my previous post is my utter disappointment with the shallowness of the future doctors who cannot even give one hour to listen a palliative care lecturer who came all the way to UMMC, probably with no pay, who is just interested to enlighten our darkened minds something about caring for the terminally ill.
So what if we can diagnose a 6th nerve palsy due to a cerebral abscess secondary to AIDS, if we know nothing about the palliative options of this AIDS patient?
Amongst those who stayed behind for the lecture, some were playing Bingo, some were reading their medical handbook, some were chit-chatting, some were sleeping, some have no idea what they are doing in medical school. Very few actually cared.
If this is the kind of attitude my future consultants have in the hospital, then I fear for the terminally ill patients of their time.
my reply:
shallowness is always there.
people are born shallow.
some actually grew to become more shallow unfortunately, fallen victim to their instinct to survive.
in the spirit of malaysia boleh,
palliative is part of management, who cares.
rehab is part of management, who cares.
lifestyle is part of management, who cares.
alternative medicine is part of management, who cares.
all ppl interested is in the advanced pharmacotherapy or surgical technique
at least, that is what our examiner would be interested to know, so they think.
i had the most disturbing experience in my recent rehab class about orthosis and prosthesis, one of my coursemates actually asked me to sit in front, so that i could answer any question from the rehab dr, dr rameezan. "y u can’t answer meh?" "no lar, i am not interested, not as interested as you do, i can’t be bothered" i gasped, nearly anoxic.
albeit, rehab dr, palliative team, primary care dr, is often being perceived as less important.
but in real fact, lots lots and i shall repeat again, lots have actually forgotten that the best part of medical management that really does matter which is preventive medicine, as the old saying goes "prevention is better than cure".
if the prevention is good,
we would have less cancer patient in palliative,
less MVA survivors in rehab,
etc etc etc…
but since we still in the "malaysia boleh*" state, hopefully we should still harp onto "to cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always", hoping this will be better in the future, where doctors will be doctors, not "veterinarian"
transformation of heart largely is by self-effort and self-realization, living up to one’s principle and conscience despite pressure from peers and others.
kiasuism is always a relative thing.
self righteousness is always a relative thing.
prof philip poi once told me, "sometimes you all are just too relax, and not being kiasu enough"
* malaysia boleh ada orang merokok di tangga hospital dan tempat larangan merokok seperti universiti
malaysia boleh ada rekod terbaik dalam bilangan kemalangan jalan raya
malaysia boleh ada orang lepas sakit jantung masih hisap rokok bagaikan ubat
malaysia boleh banyak banyak lagi
lastly, in medicine, no one should be ignored, the most important person in the management is not the specialist nor the consultant, often forgotten, it is the PATIENT.
Dr. Liew "we must empower the patient and also give power to the patient"
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