On Medicine

THINK PAD

A majority of students who opt for medicine think there is some sort of cool factor associated with the honorific “Dr to be a swashbuckling know-it-all, and prescribing meds to people in fancy handwriting. We enter with only a superficial understanding of the nature of the job.

Maybe we never thought of it while preparing for Medical College Admission Test; honestly, we were too preoccupied with Bernoulli’s equation and Pressure Flow Theory. But now what, when medicine is all we should be thinking about? Maybe there are people who kind of knew what they were getting into, but for most it’s only when we finally come here do we realise the real gravity of the situation.

One lapse of judgement and a single error can prove to be catastrophic. Even though health malpractices are common, we choose to pursue medicine, knowing we are directly involved with human lives in a way that no other person really gets to be. To put it bluntly, we can be saviours or murderers.

Sounds intimidating! Perhaps some of us might actually be uncomfortable thinking about what we signed up for. Human life is sacred, and being directly involved with the vessel of life comes with great responsibility, naturally. So how can we as medical students not succumb to the crippling pressure that comes with such a demanding job?

Even if some of us realise the harsh truth of medical life after coming here, there is also this fact to think and ponder upon: we’re the chosen ones. WeÕre chosen to serve humanity. We live in a frantic world plagued by war and violence besides health crises. But let it not be through our hands, which are supposed to be that of a healer. Death will happen despite sincerest efforts. Yet, at the end of the day, it’s the sense of satisfaction and pride to see someone getting better just because of us is rewarding. To know that we were able to play some role in lessening the suffering in this world, and that’s when we’ll be able to accept our role: that of a Doctor.