Expectations

I think the world put too much expectations on medical healthcare givers. We are not infallible, you know?

They say doctors are brilliant people. Well, I think everybody's brilliant, just in a different way. I remembered one of my lecturers once said, "Doctors are smart, but the smartest people are all rocket scientists or physicist." Maybe in this Malaysian context students have to be smart in order to win a seat in a medical faculty, but seriously, once you are in, diligence and common sense are the only thing that keeps you alive. You'll soon realize that intelligence is just an extra ingredient that facilitates your learning capability, to some extent.

They say doctors have low EQ. Sadly, yes, but why blame us? Here, picture the daily scenario of a doctor.

You wake up at 6 o clock morning sharp, albeit a busy on-call the previous night with numerous urgent admissions that you have to handle personally, and rush towards the ward for your routine work. Having arrived, you begin screening the patients and reviewing them for their progress in the ward and then they start bombarding you with demands and complaints and questions too. So, patiently you answer them and when you start to wonder how fast time flies, the specialists are already in the building.

Hastily, you try to finish your primary ward rounds before ending up with a harsh scolding by the untouchables, and then miserably initiate another ward rounds with the specialists, presenting the cases that you have tried to handle. Depending on your luck, you'll either be ridiculed or embarassed with sinister comments by them, in front of the nurses, the patients and the relatives. That is where the thick hide of yours is helpful; no matter how embarassed you are, life goes on.

By the time you finish your morning ward rounds and you are trying to catch your breath, the lovely nurses in pink inform you that you have new admissions to handle. Hmmm... Let see. While you're busy clerking this dementic aunty who responses with nonsense, someone at the other side of the ward hits the RED button and the nurses start yelling hysterically for you. Someone is having a cardiac arrest. You look at your watch - 12.30 p.m. - and you know that lunch is going to be late today.

Eventually at three something p.m., you scurried to the canteen for a quick lunch and shockingly the canteen taukeh smiles at you and shakes his head. It's all empty. You ordered a plate of fried noodles and while you trying to sip some of your iced milo, your pager alarms you with a sharp wail. Sneakily you try to ignore it, but the patients over the next table stares at you with suspicion. You try desperately to act cool, but a second round of beeping wails. You throw a two ringgit note onto the table and then grab some sardine buns and then speed back towards the ward, munching those buns on the way.

The moment you step your foot into the ward, this old patient with TB shouts for you and starts to weep that his son refuses to pick him home. Comforting him as you try hard to get rid of him, some relative of another patient sneaks behind you and ambushes you with a list of questions and complaints, and not to forget his/her story bout another long distance relative who got well after trying some chinese medication or acupuncture. What's more? Some even question your credibility and prompt you to heal your patient immediately or they'll curse all your eighteen generation of ancestors.

Having got rid of them, you turn around and demand to know why in the hell did they page you the nurse on call informs you that a critical case from some rural area is pending to arrive in 5 minutes time and you have to brace yourself to manage it. Suddenly the doors flap open wide and you see paramedics pushing a wheeled bed drastically and there's a sick toxic patient with a Darth Vader mask on his face. Oh well...

By the time you're finished with him, it's probably around 5 o clock. You mourn as everybody leaves the ward for home but you, since you are on-call again for that night. Clasping your hands tight and pray hardly to someOe that you don't believe He exists, you zealously hope that it would be a serene night without any hustle or bustle.

Well, and see what you wished for. Patients start to flock in the ward and the nurses harshly bang your bathroom door telling you to stop playing with your rubber duckie and get out now! Once you think you have handled all the emergency cases, one by one they come in whenever you try to have a 40 winks.

The only time you realize that the rush is over, it is already 5.30 a.m.. And you only have 30 minutes of shuteye before you start another daily routine. Well, you turn around and look at the mirror, only to collapse with a psychoneurogenic shock after seeing how miserable and cachexic you have become. After regaining conscious in 20 minutes, you ask yourself why in God's name did you choose this career.

I am not trying to boast or indicate anything. Before you start complaining bout how unreasonable and how mean doctors are, try to step in their shoes for a moment.

From a very annoyed Rickie.