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Children
No - you have to be passionate especially when working with children. I think your "fear" is ungrounded.
Posted: 24 August, 2009 - 10:38pm
by: Dr Anton
Paediatrics or Adults
I am in my 3rd year of medicine in Ireland and I was wondering what your opinions are on what must be considered when choosing whether to work with children or adults in your medical/surgical career. I fear that I become too close to patients but I am passionate about doing my best so that can't be a bad thing if working with children right?
Posted: 21 August, 2009 - 12:14pm
by: NN
very supportive
very helpful thanks.
Posted: 14 August, 2009 - 01:45pm
by: f.a.
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Always Remain a Student! Always Remain a Teacher!
I often get questions from students on how long it takes to become a doctor or an anesthetist or a surgeon - and the answer is: Forever!
Let me explain?
When you commit towards a career in medicine, you will have to study a certain number of years in medical school before you are qualified.
Then follows a number of years of residency, and you will still be studying.
Even when you qualify, you will have to keep abreast with the latest treatment modalities and medication in your field of practice.
You will have to study articles in medical journals and you will have to attend medical congresses.
You really owe it to your patients to only offer them the best and latest technologies, and therefore you will have to keep up with the latest developments and information in your field of practice.
So, to some extent, you will be studying for the rest of your life!
Recently I had the privilege to attend a great conference on Maxillofacial Surgery:
...in the beautiful town of George in the Southern Cape in South Africa:
Have a look at a video clip of a world expert speaking on repairing malformations of the mandible (lower jaw)...
That covers the first part: "always remain a student!"
Now, the second part: "Always remain a teacher"
Share your knowledge. In medicine new methods and developments are published - not patented.
You want patients and doctors all over the world to share in your knowledge and new discoveries and benefit from the new information.
Be liberal with your teaching and help your juniors to be exceptionally great doctors. By giving you will receive back in multiplication!
In medical school there is a saying: "See one, do one, teach one." So learn from the experts. See what and how they are doing things (more than once!), then do the procedure under supervision until you are comfortable with the amount of experience that you have.
Then start teaching. Share the knowledge and information liberally.
Teaching makes the knowledge stay. You will retain your knowledge permanently by teaching it.
As a private doctor, keep a morning or an afternoon open to teach new students at your faculty. Since you have received so much, start giving back!
Aren't we lucky to be able to study medicine? A lifelong opportunity of getting new knowledge and information, of pioneering and discovering new breakthroughs, new methods and ways of treating and benefiting our patients!
President of The Apprentice Corporation
This Letter from the Doc was submitted on 03 August, 2009 at 01:09pm
Comments on this Letter from the Doc...
Children
No - you have to be passionate especially when working with children. I think your "fear" is ungrounded.
Posted on: 24 August, 2009 at 10:38pm
By: Dr Anton
Paediatrics or Adults
I am in my 3rd year of medicine in Ireland and I was wondering what your opinions are on what must be considered when choosing whether to work with children or adults in your medical/surgical career. I fear that I become too close to patients but I am passionate about doing my best so that can't be a bad thing if working with children right?
Posted on: 21 August, 2009 at 12:14pm
By: NN
very supportive
very helpful thanks.
Posted on: 14 August, 2009 at 01:45pm
By: f.a.
Great Article!
Thanks for this piece Doctor! It was very informative. Keep up the good work.
Kind Regards,
Tom.
Posted on: 04 August, 2009 at 01:57pm
By: Tom
Thank you Dr
That is true and it inspires me
Posted on: 04 August, 2009 at 08:17am
By: Sotsha