i think im starting to develop a love hate relationship with hospitals. its exciting to finally step into the wards as medical students. and we do rounds hoping to see patients with classical signs, doing Hx and PE. Its all real new stuff, and thoroughly invigorating. There's nothing quite like finding out about the human body, taking baby steps as doctors.
But somehow, i hate the wards too. I dont like seeing young patients. Not cause they are irritating or anything, but rather cos they dont deserve to be there. Thats not to say tt old patients do, but its rather common sensical that as we grow older, we start getting afflicted by ailments due to, well, old age. Whenever i hear about some case from others, i cant help but ask how old is the patient, not cos theres this insatiable urge to poke my nose into someone's affairs, but its just saddening to see a young patient in the prime of his life, stuck in a hospital.
Back in RI, our batch song was We are the Young. i think it really struck me that we are the young, we are the children of the world, and we hold tomorrow in our hands. i just feel a tinge of sadness when i set eyes on a young patient, before we go about the business of history taking and PE again.
What really gets my goat sometimes is when us older medical students, knowingly tell prospective students that empathy is considered a marvellous quality to have as a doctor, either for the interviews or whatever. But seriously, do we know what empathy is all about. We see amputees and all, we say that its sad. That doesnt make us doctors with empathy. Its just a natural response. Anyone with an iota of compassion would feel sad. Have we ever thought from the patient's perspective? Every patient has his or her own problems. Have we considered them?
I dunno, i think i will resolve to try to be more compassionate, to slip to patients that its more than just doctorly talk, but we do care. Not easy, especially when u haf a hell lot to do, but its worth a shot.