It ended where it began

Though I have been born and bred in the west of the island, my medical education can be said to have originated in the east.

5 years ago, as an eager wannabe student fresh out of the A levels, I went for a clinical attachment in St Andrew's Community Hospital to boost my CV for medical school

3 years ago, I began my first ever clinical posting, the clinical skills foundation course, at the neighbouring Changi General Hospital

Today, I ended life as a medical student (hopefully) in the same place

And that too, closes a chapter in the fellowship with the elven prince and the elf maiden.

Moral ambiguity

An article I read a few days ago

"One of the basic humanitarian functions of a civilized society is the help the poor, the sick, the suffering and the elderly and not to abandon them as other people’s problem, or worse, to protest and deny them a right to a physical, psychological and social space. To do the latter is to dehumanize society even more than the blind pursuit of money would."

vs

This letter to the Straits Times today

"If the HDB had stuck to its original aim of selling flats at cost and for residing in rather than as investment assets, residents would have less of a leg to stand on if a host of socially enhancing facilities like childcare and elder-care centres are built."

Ok so I know it is less than 19 days to MBBS and I should be studying, but I happened to read a letter in the Straits Times today that caught my attention. How fitting that it came in the middle of a geriatrics posting.

Actually, there was a similar case a few months ago when TNP interviewed this caucasian lady who opened her condo unit to destitute foreign workers. Some people actually wrote in to criticise this lady for being a bad neighbour, because the presence of the foreign workers posed a security threat and brought down property prices. This kind of things make you ask... why?!

Let's say you were to go down the street with a mike, and ask people why they are such money minded assholes. Other than being punched and mocked you'd get a heartfelt reply that no one set out to be an asshole. Few people are born assholes, but there is a lot of shit in life, examples being a rising cost of living and soaring property prices, that put pressure on us to be assholes. It is easy to judge someone, less so to understand why.

Nevertheless, at the end of it all, it is only real shit like the MBBS and the stress of city living that truly test our humanity. It would be very questionable if, in our quest to protect our money, we lose the basic ability to care for fellow human beings.

Geriatrics

I thought I would positively hate Geriatrics. After all, I have had bad experiences with old people, ranging from being spat on by delirious old men, coming close to collapse trying to clerk drowsy old people at night, and being given the stick by old professors.

But during the posting I somehow imagined these people as future versions of my mother and things got a little better.

Yet, it still sucks having to attend long ward rounds, present during ward rounds and even present during multidisciplinary meetings when IT IS OUR LAST WEEK IN THE WARDS AND 20 DAYS BEFORE MBBS. No not funny at all.

And as a side note, to round off this short geriatric entry, you could savour this:

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/rejection-of-the-old-a-crying-shame/

Reciprocal shit warrants reciprocal service

There was a period in my life when I was angry at the way doctors had to bend over backwards to accomodate some patients and their families. Now I've realised that it is more often than not the patients and their families who have to doubly bend over backwards to accomodate the same doctors while they were students. In the process of acquiring the MBBS, don't forget also the hoardes of people you have disturbed or distressed.

Dedicated to:

The old man with right sided Bell's palsy who grudgingly agreed to let us examine him even though dozens had already done so. I really wanted to walk away already but he told me to come back, so I guess it isn't my fault.

The infant whose head I allowed to bob backwards.

The ladies whose breasts were examined by six people, including two men.

Any pre-op or imminently discharged patients who were delayed because of us.

And all the many patients with lumps, bumps, varicose veins, cardiac signs, abdo signs and whatever other signs, with special mention going to those with cancer.