In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?
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There are a lot of responsibilities that comes with being a doctor, just like any profession. Every skill or profession does have its own responsibilities. There is a saying that “nothing comes for free in this world”, which is true. I believe there is a continuation or cycle that goes about every action or work done by us, especially the effort and quality of our work.
As mentioned, that with every profession has its own responsibilities, so does hard work. I have a mentor who uses this phrase a lot, “everyone pays their dues”. Thus, we work hard at least in the early stages before realising or discovering the art of the system and hence, working smart. Nevertheless, it is always with hard work. Hard work accompanied with determination, perseverance and the right attitude.
How is this fulfilling for me?
The answer is simple and probably resonates with many. The fact that I made a difference.
Albeit being in my fourth month of housemanship / internship, I’ve seen one too many events whereby the patients would present to the emergency department in a dire state, post trauma or accident, sustaining uncountable fractures, covered in blood or in a septic state. After a few days or weeks, I would meet them in the ward and I remember encountering them from emergency department and they would usually be seated up, eating, talking with their family members, laughing about and cracking jokes and before you know it, they are discharged and it is good news for both parties.
One patient count less but also the fact that, the patient is well enough to be sent home and does not require further observation by doctors.
That is not the case for all patients of course. I do have my own share of uneventful experiences. However, that is an article for another time.
In order to reach the point whereby the patient is stable enough to leave, requires multiple interventions. The “in-between story” that no one really talks about. The event on how the patient was managed initially, how it involves a multi-disciplinary team, involving other departments, meaning to call the doctor on-call and to present the case and reason for referrals, to carry out not only our part of the management but theirs as well, to attend to the patients should they desaturate in the wards or develop fever or gets shifted out to ICU. Correcting their electrolyte imbalances, transfusing blood if needed, acquiring bloods and convincing the blood bank to grant certain amount of packed cells or other types of blood products and posting the case to the anaesthetists under emergency just so the patient could go for operation.
All these tiny job-lists are vital nonetheless. It is a butterfly effect that contributes to the wellbeing and betterment of the patients’ health and finally to being discharged.
It involves a lot of hard work, a lot of convincing and dealing with a lot of difficult people from various departments. But it is fulfilling because it made a difference.
Thus, at the end of the month when the salary gets deposited into my account, I know for sure that I’ve earned it through honest hard work. We are definitely underpaid, working in an environment with a sea of patients and being understaffed.
However, at least it is still something. At the end of the day, I am doing my duties in contributing back to society which has always been my purpose.
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The Theoretical Doctor 