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People who decide to become medical doctors need to make several sacrifices. The training is long and difficult. Furthermore, it does not end with school because doctors are required to learn about new problems and advances in the field of medical science for the rest of their lives. However, there is a positive side in becoming a doctor. It is not just about learning complicated procedures and going through rigorous training. Being a doctor means that a person is required to nurture the positive fundamental characteristics of the human mind. Doctors have to be truthful, both to their patients and their patients' relatives. They need to be above discrimination. If doctors practice medicine with a correct attitude and respect towards the oaths taken, they have an opportunity to develop all positive qualities of a human being and improve people's living standards without sacrificing their own.
Becoming an expert in the field of medicine is a long process that will turn away most people, particularly because doctors gain their abilities exclusively by practicing on other people. “The moral burden of practicing on people is always with us, but for the most part unspoken” (Gawade, 2003). Besides the moral burden that is created by practicing on others, when their lives might depend on the doctor's skills, doctors need to constantly keep up with the advances in the field. In addition, they need to adapt to different patients constantly. Even if there are no formal advances in the medical field, the doctor must always remain flexible and accept that something unexpected might happen at any moment. Atul Gawade (2003) states that the incredible pace of advances in medicine do not always keep up with differences which occur in real life s...
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...us negative aspects in the medical field, the positive aspects outweigh all the uncertainties and difficulties. They may not be higher in number, but they certainly outweigh the risks and limitations found in the medical profession. The satisfaction of treating people, studying improvements in the field, and passing on that knowledge to future generations makes the difficulties in training and daily practice worthwhile. Besides, the medical profession is often misunderstood and several difficulties arise because of these misconceptions. Society puts significant amounts of pressure on the doctors because of the belief that medicine is perfect and that doctors are infallible. Medicine will always be imperfect and it will always improve. Being a doctor is a great honor because of the opportunity to contribute in developing medical treatments and people's life standards.
Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard Medical School graduate and writer for The New Yorker, phenomenally illustrates the unknown side of healthcare professions in his book, Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science. By exploring the ethical and analytical aspects of medicine while entertaining readers with relatable anecdotes, Gawande impresses on his audience the importance of recognizing the wonders of the healthcare field, as well as the fallibility of those within it.
The passage is here not only to illustrate the struggle of becoming a doctor but to tell future medical students that they should want to become a doctor for the passion of helping people and not for the future “big payoff”. Also the passage informs the readers that not all doctors end up making as much as they
Dr. Gawande’s own story, Personal Best (2013), describes the event in which people tend to reach a plateau and perceive to be in a state in which people have nothing more to learn. As a highly educated surgeon, he measures his level of success based on his low rates of complication after surgery in comparison to those of his peers at the national scale. Dr. Gawande never considered the benefit or the idea of having a coach up to this point.
In the essay “When Doctors Make Mistakes” written by Atul Gawande, he writes a first-hand account of mistakes made by himself and his colleagues. The essay is divided into five parts, each named to the narrative and emotions of the story he would tell. In each story he tells, he uses such vivid language that we as readers feel as if we are one of his colleagues. Each section has its own importance to the whole point he was trying to get across, ““All doctors make terrible mistakes” (657).
Diligence is a virtue. This is a theme Atul Gawande presents to the reader throughout Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance. In each story, Gawande provides insight on medical studies he has previously embarked upon. For example, in “The Mop-up” the author tells us about a time when he went to India to observe the efforts to eradicate polio. Gawande explains how he followed a supervisor around and how vaccinations were performed. Additionally, in another chapter he debates on whether physicians should take part in death sentences. Throughout his adventures Gawande provides numerous enriching personal accounts of controversial events and what it is like to be a doctor; each with diligence playing a key part.
Atul Gawande is not only our resident surgeon; he’s also a patient himself. He’s anxious before performing a surgery, he dwells on mistakes, and he has emotions: he’s human and he understands us. However, he does not appear to share concerns with his patients initially. Gawande experiences a long, drawn-out development from a young medical student to the doctor he is today. This process of identifying with patients is evident in his anthology of essays Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science. Dr. Gawande appears to emphasize the value of making mistakes, and how it is a core component of his daily life as a physician. His mistakes are dependent on the “good choices or bad choices” he makes, and regardless
As a society we place those in the medical profession on a pedestal. They are people to be looked up to and admired. In many ways they are Gods, right here with us on earth. People put the hope and faith in doctors hoping they can perform miracles. Throughout history, doctors have indeed preformed many wonders. There were, however, some doctors that betrayed this belief and peoples trust. These doctors could be found in concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Dachau. These doctors committed unspeakable acts against the Jews and other minorities, believing that they were conducting helpful experiments. Following the holocaust, however, they were punished for their actions.
In his piece Basic Clinical Skills, Konner explores important topics related to a medical student’s first encounters with patients. He talks about humanity in medicine and the role of a physician.
The article,”What is a Physician?” (2012) explains that being patient, tolerable, and being flexible are very important that benefit all health care workers. The article “What is a Physician?”, also goes to states that these traits are important because they provide a positive environment for everybody working with you. The article, “What is a Physician?” (2012) also goes on to state that optimism is very important for pediatrics because it can make a good relationship with your other health care workers. The article, “What is a Physician?” also states that these qualities can help your health care worker to gain reputation and even increase your salary in this profession.
Melvin Kooner, an anthropologist who entered medical school in his mid-thirties, characterizes physicians as “tough, brilliant, knowledgeable, hardworking, and hard on themselves.” (Kooner, 1998, pg. 374) Many personal conversations with medical students, residents, and attending physicians from a variety of specialties confirm Kooner’s assessment. Doctors work hard, work long hours, deal regularly with life-and-death situations, and make substantial personal sacrifices to practice in their field. These attributes of medical practice can provide a great deal of satisfaction to the aspiring or practicing physician, but can also be a source of professional and personal distress. Burnout or the experience of long-term emotional and physical exhaustion may result from an inability to cope with the demands of work-related responsibilities and personal obligations. If untreated, burnout may lead to more serious consequences such as depression and suicide.
As physicians, we are foundations for our patients. We become sources of strength and emotional security for them, in trying times. We do more than fix others back to health (spotting signs of illness, giving diagnoses, drugs or treatment). We must understand the concerns of those we help and be there for our patients—through pain and sorrow. ================
...g it would be hard for many doctors to turn away seniors and maintain a viable business” (Sanger-Katz). Nevertheless, not all hope is lost just yet. “Med-school applications are booming, as are applications from foreign-trained physicians to enter U.S. residency programs. Even current doctors, who enjoy high incomes, say their major career satisfaction is patient relationships, not financial rewards, according to a recent survey from the Physicians Foundation. "It's an inherently appealing profession," says Berenson, who adds that lower physician pay might have a "salubrious" affect. "We would have people who wanted to be in the profession for the right reason"” (Sanger-Katz). It feels remarkable knowing that there are still people in the United States who want the job to help people and save lives, rather than the large paycheck they will receive as a physician.
Doctors should possess the skills necessary to assess what the patient actually needs contrary to what he/she believes they require. An illness obviously impacts one’s life regardless of how minuscule. A doctor plays a vital role in both the physical condition and the, often over-looked, emotional well-being of his/her patients. I firmly believe that through my experiences in two separate, but fairly similar branches of medicine I have developed the ability to care for those in a compassionate yet professional manner along with the ability comprehend the information necessary that being a health care provider
Those in the medical field are on the brink of a new era in health care. Medical schools are graduating some of the brightest students in the world who are putting their tech-savvy skills into practice. And though Generation Y physicians are facing the brunt of the health care changes, this new wave of physicians are open to new ideas and new modes of thinking, and therefore are able to bring a fresh new outlook to health care.
Throughout my life, I have worked towards one goal which is to become a doctor. Medicine offers the opportunity for me to integrate different scopes of science while trying to improve human life. Medicine has intrigued me throughout all my life because it??s a never ending mystery and every answer has questions, and vice versa. Upon entering my career, I had assumed that professional and financial success would surely bring personal fulfillment. This realization triggered a process of self-searching that led me to medicine. The commitment to provide others with healthcare is a serious decision for anyone. As I examined my interests and goals, however, I underwent a process of personal growth that has propelled me towards a career as a physician. A career in medicine will allow me to integrate thoroughly my passion for science into a public-service framework. Since childhood, I have loved acquiring scientific knowledge, particularly involving biological processes. During my undergraduate studies, I displayed my ability to juggle competing demands while still maintaining my academic focus; I have succeeded at school while volunteering part time, spending time with family and friends, and working part-time. To better serve my expected patient population, I worked over my English and Korean language skills. I have come to discover that a job and even a good income, without another significant purpose, will not bring satisfaction. I planed to utilize my assets, namely my problem- solving affinity, strong work ethic, and interpersonal commitment, to craft a stimulating, personally rewarding career in medicine. I have taken stock of myself, considering my skills, experiences, and goals. I have looked to family and friends, some of whom are doctors, for advice. Because of this self-examination, I have decided to pursue a career in health care. The process has been difficult at times but always illuminating. Throughout it all, I have never lost confidence - the confidence that I will actively absorb all available medical knowledge, forge friendships with fellow students, and emerge from my training as a skilful and caring physician.