This year, the applications to enroll in medical schools increased by 6.1 percent to more than 48,000, breaking records set in 1996 (Lopatto). Job openings for doctors and nurses sparked the interest of the younger generation, and this, I believe, is because of the enthralling and captivating experiences that result from these fields. The article “The Central Line” by Atul Gawande covers an example of what these future surgeons and medics learn while in the field. However, the student will not perform perfectly the first time. Of course, the techniques of using the tools and how to perform the procedures take practice and time to perfect, exhibited through Gawande’s writing. Repetition and training is needed to excel at any skill or act. In his article, Gawnde motivates his readers through the use of his credibility and emotional appeals to the learning curb.
In the article, Gawande shares a story from when he worked in a hospital as a resident. His first real procedure, placing a central line through a stout man’s heart to receive nutrition, would result in few problems if it were performed by experienced hands. However, knowing this is his first operation to be done alone, Gawande’s nervousness grew with every thought of what could go dramatically wrong. Before beginning, the author recollects studying all of the precise moves and cuts his superior named S. carried out on the same type of procedure on a person beforehand. After feeling informed and confident, Gawande begins by gathering all the necessary tools needed for the job. But as he thought he finished, S. chimes in reminding him of the multiple things he failed to remember to grab or setup. He uneasily shook off the mistakes, and began by locating the point on the man’...
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...he real sense that even the best things take patience and work, and readers take this advice to apply to their own lives.
Although it can be difficult to look deep within oneself for strength to overcome hardships, Gawnade proves himself worthy with his language to give someone a boost in confidence. Over the years, he built his resume and exceeds expectations as he climbed the ladder in the medical field, giving his knowledge and background information great validity. Along with his intelligence, he adds emotions to win over his audience and hope the best for them with their endeavors, giving advice to practice in order to perfect. By showing multiple forms of writing, Gawande motivates people to strive for their dreams.
Works Cited
Lopatto, Elizabeth. "Medical School Applications, Enrollment Rise to Records." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
Popular television paint a glorified image of doctors removing the seriousness of medical procedures. In the non-fiction short story, “The First Appendectomy,” William Nolen primarily aims to persuade the reader that real surgery is full of stress and high stakes decisions rather than this unrealistic view portrayed by movies.
The Beauty of Bodysnatching written by Burch Druin is a fascinating biography of Astley Cooper, an English Surgeon, and Anatomist, who gained worldwide fame in support of his contribution to Vascular Surgery and a further area of expertise. The extract gives a reflective insight into Cooper’s contribution to study of Anatomy and medicine. Cooper enjoyed the job of body snatching, which helped him to conduct a series of discoveries that were important for the future study and understanding of Physiology. In the Romantic era, when prettiness or horror was a sensitive matter and extensive concern at that time many physicians discouraged surgery, but Cooper passionately practiced it.
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.
The writing style of the author is quite interesting to me. Atul Gawande’s honesty, a major aspect of his writing style, beautifully highlights the good and bad of any medical profession. For example, Gawande’s argument over the use of patients for resident training
Najjar came in with a completely different mindset then the rest of the doctors. He grew up in a small town in Syria and did very poor in the private school classroom environment (Calahan 128). No one believed in him, and even his parents lost all hope in him achieving success. They decided to have him transfer into a public school. This opened up a new mindset for Dr. Najjar and lit a spark inside of him. At his new school, a specific teacher caught interest in him and praised him for his work which raised his confidence. Dr. Najjar easily could have taken this confidence and stopped putting forth the effort needed to continue succeeding, but instead, he stayed persistent, and at the end of the school year, he came home with straight A's on his report card. His parents didn’t think this was possible and accused him of cheating. His teachers backed him up and assured his parents that he worked hard to earn his good grades. As time went on, his success continued and Najjar eventually graduated at the top of his class in medical school. He then moved to the United States where he became an esteemed neurologist and epileptologist. No one believed in Dr. Najjar growing up, so he wanted to prove a point to everyone who doubted him and he made it clear he was never going to give up on
We are first introduced to Dr. Gawande in part one, Crash Victim, where he is currently working on a female who was in a rollover accident, and everything seems to be going wrong when he performs an emergency tracheostomy. In section two, Banality of Error,
I was born in a small town of -----------of underdeveloped country of Bangladesh. I grew up speaking Bengali, wore traditional clothes, created intricate henna designs on women’s hands, and performed classical Bengali music. Since childhood, thought other than becoming a doctor never registered in my mind. My high grades in high school helped me to obtain admission in one of the most desirable place to learn Medicine, Mayemen Medical College.
Rupert Murray’s The End of the Line focuses on the depletion of the oceans fisheries and the devastating effects it has already begun to have on ecosystems and less affluent populations. The film opens with a description of the tribulations of Newfoundland. Once possessing waters so populous with cod that one could “walk across their backs in the water,” improved technology and larger fishing vessels began to deplete the fish stocks. Despite placing a moratorium on fishing in 1992, the fisheries had already been depleted to the point of complete collapse. Similar processes are occurring around the world, as only .6% of the ocean is restricted to fishing vessels. According to the film, much of the ocean’s catch has declined by 90%; the continuation of current trends if continue, stocks will collapse by 2048.
In conclusion, a career as a Cardiovascular Surgeon is indefatigable and often referred to as a road best left forgotten, but sometimes the forgotten road can lead greatness, for greatness isn’t handed out but rather is achieved. And what is greater than giving another person hope for the future, than by giving them a future and struggling through life in order to be the person to give it to them. Pope Paul VI said, “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.”
Practice is an essential component of the development of expertise. Despite the necessity for practice, ethical and practical tensions may arise as a result of it. These tensions are shown throughout the articles, “The Learning Curve” by Atul Gawande and “The Great Forgetting” by Nicholas Carr. Gawande focuses how surgeons have to practice on patients which can sometimes be considered unethical. On the other hand, Carr focuses on how dependence on technology can be detrimental, especially in the aviation industry. In both of these passages, the authors present arguments explaining how practice can lead to several mistakes as well as the loss of numerous lives. However, practice is needed in order to achieve expertise which leads to an ethical
Screech!!! The bus’ brakes scream upon stopping. I look up to see buildings that look like stone and marbled statuses. The buildings stood tall with tan shiny finishes. The grass was too green to be true and the atmosphere felt like home to me. I had embarked upon a journey that I never thought would be. I was here, here at Emory School of Medicine. Numerous of people walking around with white doctor coats, teal scrubs, and soft colorful crocs. I was a part of an elite group of about thirty high school students, who would soon be a part of Emory’s School of Medicine mentoring program, called Emory School of Medicine Pipeline Program. This program introduced intercity students, such as myself, to the world of medicine. This inspired students to become future medical doctors, nurses, and other medical professions. This program greatly influenced my interest for medicine.
While one person lays with their wrists circumscribed to the worn leather of the gurney, another person holds two skin-piercing needles. The individual holding the needles is an inexperienced technician who obtains permission from the United States federal government to murder people. One needle is held as a precaution in case the pain is too visible to the viewers. Another dagger filled with a lethal dosage of chemicals is inserted into the vein that causes the person to stop breathing. When the cry of the heart rate monitor becomes monotone, the corrupt procedure is complete. Lying in the chair is a corpse when moments ago it was an individual who made one fatal mistake that will never get the chance to redeem (Ecenbarger). Although some people believe that the death
Having someone's life in your hands is terrifying, but poetic. In Richard Selzer's The Knife, it is communicated that surgery is a risk, an art form and an invigorating sensation.
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.
I started to explore the different fields of medicine by working as a Medical Scribe in the Emergency Department, ER tech in Trauma Centers, getting involved in research, volunteering at hospitals and taking high level science classes. This will enhance my knowledge and experience i...