Ask a kid what he wants to be when he grows up. Most will probably answer you, "doctor!" without a moment's hesitation. But what does a kid know about being a doctor? Probably that he's the rich guy who cures people and everyone looks up to him. Someone to be respected. Someone who his parents told him they want him to be when he grows up. Why? They probably want to be proud of their child and be able to tell their friends, siblings, and practically anyone who will listen, "My son is a doctor" (shoulders straight, grim face, a my-son-will-teach-you-a-lesson-if-u-mess-with-me smile pasted on their face).
Don't get me wrong.
A doctor is a noble profession. One that nurses can't do without. But PLEASE. PLEASE dream of being a doctor for the right reasons. Not for money. Not for status. And definitely not for bragging rights. It's just freakin annoying and you won't be doing your job well. And it's stressful for other medical staff who has to work with you!
If you want to be a doctor, do it because you want to cure people. You want to help others. You want to lessen the pain in this world. You want to go to war-torn countries and be a hero.
Whatever it is, don't let it be because of status.
Why am I so bothered by this?
Case No 1:
In the radiology department, me and two of my friends were waiting in the observation room for a patient doing a CT scan. The patient is unconscious so the 3 of us, a doctor, a health attendant, and a few other people had to lift the patient and stuff. It was sort of tiring but I didn't mind at all. So we were waiting in the observation room and then we saw on one of the computers, a woman (the radiologist, a doctor?) typing the report for our patient's CT brain. So of course la me and my frens leaned in a bit to get a closer look and kalo bley, nk gak tnye what was the result? But as soon as we got a bit closer, the evil woman turned around and said, "Ni buat ape ramai2 kat sini? Ish, pegi tempat lain la, takde oksigen!!".
Okay.
Serious kalo takde oksigen, u brain infarct pon I buat x nampak. Haish, sakit ati nye!
Case No 2 :
At the emergency department, a patient in a cubicle was screaming in pain and begging me to do something to help her. She was in an accident. So I rushed to the doctor in charge and asked her, "doctor, boleh tak buat ape2 utk patient ER1? She's in terrible pain". And this doctor proceeded to look at my matric card, staring at it, and turned to the doctor next to her, saying "doctor F, adik ni tanye awk x nak buat apa2 ke patient awk tu sakit sangat2?" Her tone was really sarcastic and she just implied that I said the doctor "x nak buat apa2 for the patient"! The other doctor pandang I semacam and said, "saya tahu la ape nak buat!"
Eeeee...serious macam nk nangis dh pastu. I was only trying to help the patient. Jahat la doctor tu! EVIL!!!!
I have lots of exemplary cases. How some doctors treat us student nurses like we're lower than dirt and then expect us to run around grabbing stuff for them coz they're too lazy to move their own two feet. I don't mind helping you. But would it KILL you to be nice?! A friend of mine even got scolded by a doctor once when she mistakenly called her "Puan" because she didn't know she was a doctor. And the doctor's reply? "awk panggil sy ape? Penat sy belajar 6 thn, awk panggil sy puan?!"
Thankfully, I do know some really nice doctors. Those who treat us as equals and don't mind us asking silly questions. Some even teach you things while treating the patient and then says thank you for asking. Today I met a doctor at the A&E who was just so nice. He seemed to genuinely care about the patient, including little things like keeping the patient warm, something even the staff nurses sometimes overlook.
This is the type of doctor I like.
Genuine and down to earth.
But not only doctors are like this. Other medical staff can be pretty evil too. But let's face it, most of them are docs. Not only does it hurt to be insulted like that, it's positively stressful to work with someone like that. Luckily I'm a student. If I was a staff nurse and a doctor was EVER rude to me unnecessarily, that doctor would be invisible to me from that day on. One cold stare and that's it. Silent treatment and I don't even see you anymore, much less help you with ANY effing thing!
No need to shout insults and bring yourself to their level.
What I'm trying to say is, jangan lupa diri. Just because you're in a higher position now, never forget that it is not you who are curing people. It is God. We are merely doing His will as He has not created a disease without creating a cure. We are simply mediators for that cure.
So don't think you are God.
For once, don't treat anyone lesser than you would like to be treated yourself and for goodness sake, the patient is not an object! Look at him, talk to him, and comfort him. After all, who are we without our patients? We'd be unemployed, that's what.
Tolong la jangan riak ok!
And if I have kids and when he starts talking and people start to ask the inevitable question, "what do you want to be when you grow up?", I'd let him say whatever he wants. Let it be an ice-cream man, a space cowboy, a pink ballerina, even a spy. As long as he's doing what he wants and as long as it's a noble thing to do.
