CHOICES IN LIFE

Hi everyone,

Meet again in another interesting topic. As we know that in everyday life we need to make choices.
Regardless of how the choice will be it will make us happy or otherwise for sure.

I went to the hospital last week to assist my cousin for his follow-up medical check-cup. Not so often for me to go to that hospital as I normally utilised my panel clinic.

It seems like I had gone back to the years when I was a kid. Hospital as usual, full of people with various nature. Some were busy waiting for their turn, some others waiting for their medicine, and others with their own reasons which I am not really known to.

It gives me a big question mark in my head. Whats wrong with the hospital? Is it considered as normal - hospital must full of people waiting? Not enough doctor that make them waiting? Or many other questions that people like me as a layman would think of.

This was also reminded me to the time when I brought my father for his follow-up medical check-up in 2003. He was told to come for the appointment, I can't really remember what day and when, if I am not mistaken it was on monday morning for the specialist. When we get there it was really disappointed day. The counter just simply said that the specialist has not arrived from KL and we need to comeback on the next day.

And here again we come on the next day early in the morning with the thinking to avoid many people because the counter was only said for us to come back in the morning. My father was suffering lung cancer and barely to stay still because of the pain I guessed. And again we need to wait for the number to be called. Person by person entering the room for their turn. Until the afternoon we were waiting and finally the nurse said it is lunch time and we need to come back after that.

So we wait again until after lunch and finally my father managed to see the doctor. Interestingly it took only about 10 minutes for the specialist doctor to do the check-up before he told my father to comeback another 6 month for further check-up (unfortunately my father was passed away few months after that before he got the chance to come for the check-up). It is really sad for me. One thing I learned is that to get that precious 10 minutes requires patients and courage.

Back to what I have said earlier I think those who really interested of becoming a doctor need to consider their decision deeply. The objectives, the way they perceive the profession, and more importantly is that how they see the bond between the doctor and the patients.Sometimes because of monetary issues. Even my son did mention this -  "I want to be a doctor because I can get thousands of ringgit every month". Funny huh...but this can be amended from time to time. I would say to those who really interested in going into this field should consider their objectives deeply and thoroughly.

To me it is more about responsibilities. I have heard a story where a student who passed his medical doctor did not want to work as a doctor but he opted to be a teacher. The doctor scroll is for his mother not for him and finally he had become an excellent teacher at his school.

Lesson that can be taken from this is that what ever we choose and what ever we decide it is always about responsibilities. With honesty we can venture what it means by responsibility.

To my young medical doctor programme candidates I wish you all the best and be the best of you. A little smile from one single patients hopefully will be a biiiiiiiiig smile of you guys.

Thank you for reading and take care...

See you soon.