I AM YOU…. I am Tomorrow’s Doctor

“To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always”

This was the quotation that stuck in my mind after a talk by Dr John P Judson (aka Dr JPJ), a surgeon-turned-lecturer, in IMU on Medicine – A Passion for Healing. A doctor’s job is not to cure people, but to comfort and relieve people’s pain. I was wowed by this fresh perspective that I had never thought of before.

To put things into context, I went to IMU (International Medical University)’s Open Day 2009 in their Bukit Jalil campus on the 18th January 2009. Now that we are on the same page:

IMU is really an amazing place. Not that I am hired to do some marketing for them, but truly, I think IMU is a really nice place. I can imagine myself studying medicine here. And I think their marketing slogan “I AM YOU” which is phonetically I-M-U, is pure genius. (Jamie, maybe you can come up with something that is phonetically S-R-I-K-D-U??)

Marketing aside, I was given first-hand information about what to expect from a medical profesion. After speaking with Dr Margaret, my family doctor, about her life as a young doctor a few days back, I still wanted to do medicine in some way and hence the visit to IMU. I am not 100% sure yet, but I am definitely at 70%. I myself was surprised that I still wanted to pursue this profesion after a few myths about this profesion was busted.

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Myth Number One: Doctors make a lot of money.

Wrong. OLD doctors make a lot of money.

Not intending to offend anyone, doctors do not make a lot of money in their early years of profesion. Only doctors who specialise and set up their own practice in the PRIVATE sector make a lot of money. By then, they are all past 30 and in their forties already.

For doctors out there who work in government hospitals, they are basically paid very low (small peanuts!) in their junior years. Some who stay in the service will get paid slightly more (bigger peanuts but still peanuts!). Mostly will go into the private sector for obvious reasons (say NO to peanuts!).

For GPs (General Practitioners) who set up ther own practice and open clinics, they are just making enough to cover their overheads. For those who are fortunate enough to open more outlets, they are confined by long working hours, which brings me to Myth Number Two.

Myth Number Two: Being a doctor is glamorous.

Wrong.  While being a doctor on ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Dr House and all the medical tv shows seem glamorous, being a real doctor is the exact opposite.

Try working from 6am to 6pm and being on call in midnight. Sometimes, you might have to miss your best friend’s wedding just because there are insufficient doctors in the hospital. Or miss your mum’s 60th anniversary because you need to work overtime!

You still need to work even on Public Holidays like Chinese New Year. While your peers and friends are celebrating and enjoying  the atmosphere of festivities, you are stuck in the hospital treating patients with cough, cold, flu, and a whole myriad of illnesses (probably they ate too much oranges.). You might probably fall sick too if your immune system is not serving you well.

Then, when you have free time, it’s either to eat, to shower, or to sleep. Sometimes, you are too tired until you don’t realise you felt asleep on the couch and it’s already 7am on the next morning. Hospitals open at 8am. You need to wash up, eat, and rush to work on your shift.

Dr Margaret: One reason why I set up my own practice after my MOship days (MO stands for Medical Officer, more on this later) is because I wanted to spend more time with my mum and family.

Dr JPJ: One reason why I quit surgery and lecture in IMU is because I wanted to spend more time with my family.

Both doctors opine that they both have to choose between work and family. And, of course we know, they chose the latter.

“Being a doctor is emotionally draining,” Dr Margaret said. She added, “This profesion will consume more than what you think it will expect it to.”

She recalled, “When I was young, my mum only gave us four career options: doctor, lawyer, engineer, and teacher. There are no other career options.” She continued, “then when my mum realised what she put me through after seeing my on-calls and long working hours, my mum said, ‘ I was stupid to force you into the profesion because I didn’t realise how much you have to work, girl. I am sorry.‘

Now, I don’t think that is portrayed in Dr House.

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I can’t think of anymore myths to bust, but I definitely have these to add:

1) Being a doctor is choosing a hard life.

2) To be a good doctor, don’t expect to make a lot of money. Else, you are in it for the wrong reason.

3) A doctor needs to emphatise with all his patients. You must never get numbed by the same cold, cough, and flu that you will encounter daily. You must be able to treat all of them as individuals, and with respect.

4) To be a doctor, you need to study and serve the government an awfully a lof of years.

The progression of a doctor’s career in Malaysia

Basic med degree (5 years) — > Housemanship/Internship (2 years) —> Serve the government of Malaysia (3 years)

To be able to open your own clinic as a practicing doctor in Malaysia, you need to spend 10 years! As for me, I would love to specialise in cardio surgery:

Basic med degree (5 years) — > Housemanship/Internship (2 years) —> Serve the government of Malaysia (3 years) — > Specialization & Postgraduate studies in General Surgery (3-4 years) —> Sub-specialisation in Cardiac Surgery (2 years)

Another 6 years!

If you still want to be a doctor after reading this post, maybe you are born to be one. Like I mentioned earlier, I am surprised I still wanted to pursue this profesion after finding out about the truths and realities behind the title ‘Dr’.

Surviving medical school is another whole new story. But never lose sight of the bigger picture of the profesion which is “To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always”. Are you tomorrow’s doctor?

This article is inspired by I-M-U, the premier private medical school in Malaysia, located in Bukit Jalil.

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The author felt that one week is an awfully long time for a blogger to be away from his blog. He had been busy with A LOT of banking (RHB Bank, CIMB Bank, EON Bank, Bank Rakyat, Maybank, Public Bank) so much so that now he can tell you how to buy a bank draft, do an interbank giro transcation, deposit a cheque and pay off your credit card the hard way, without e-banking.

Law? Medicine? Engineering? Accountancy?

I would like to apologise for not updating my post as regularly as I should have. I am beginning to acclimatise myself to fill in my father’s shoes and take on the added responsibility in the family. Anyhow, so far, I am doing good, and with my IB results, it can only get better. These are my options for my degree

Option 1: Law

If you read my previous post, I did mention that I went to ATC College because I thought law would be interesting. I still find it so but I am not sure whether I would want to read law as an undergraduate. Law requires a very critical and analytical mind that can pick up the meaning behind every word in a statute or act. You know, all those lawyer language in agreements and stuff? You are expected to understand them, and write like that in future.

The good part about reading law is it helps you to be someone who can talk, debate, and communicate well. I love debating and talking with people. The only thing that is holding me back is, my uncertainty of whether I can cope with it. I learnt about Theory of Relativity, Particle Physics, and the Big Bang Theory (or like my cousin says it, “Abang Besar Theory”) before this.

After all this hard work with science, you go and read law? Hmm….

Option 2: Medicine

I wanted to be a doctor when I was kid, but I was turned off by the number of years required to be a doctor and the massive working hours. But, I guess I saw this profesion through the wrong lens.

I remember at 13 I wrote “heart surgeon” as my ambition when my teacher asked us to write down our ambitions. My dad had a heart condition then, and I wanted to do something about it. Then, as I grow up, money became quite important and I figured that being a doctor you need to invest a huge sum of money and that turned me off for good, until now.

After seeing how my dad succumbed to heart attack, I began to see this profesion differently. And being diagnosed with pre-hypertension, which might lead to heart attack if no precautionary measures are taken, I feel compelled to save more lives. If I can use this heart in me to save more hearts out there, why not.

Money-wise, I don’t know how am I going to fund this option. The only way for me to do this is to apply and win the RM350k scholarship from IMU.

I need to check whether they accept my IB subject options (Physics, Chemistry, Maths). I have to take MUET as well. Sigh… but well, it’s a good option. Like Audrey puts it, it gives me “magic hands”.

I think being a doctor would be something worth pursuing, if I win the scholarship and the funding issue is resolved. It is also academically challenging, something I enjoy challenging myself with.

Like Jorrel puts it, though it is a bit inward-looking, “it is very powerful to have the knowledge to save yourself,” as much as medicine is concerned.

Option 3: Engineering

This is the traditional option since I was in secondary school. This led me to apply to Ivy League universities because I know that the best engineering schools are in the United States. But, I am also considering local options as well if I can’t fly off anywhere for family reasons.

I checked out Monash University, which is not a bad university. They have scholarships for students who obtain 40 points or more in IB. So, that means I am eligible for their 100% tuition fee waiver scholarship. But the catch is, the only way to maintain the scholarship is to continuously score 90-100% in all 8 semesters there. If you go below 90%, the scholarship will be reduced and downgraded to a 50% scholarship. If you improve, it will be reinstated. If you fail any unit in your degree, your scholarship is as good as over. Another point to be considered is, the scholarship is only open to enrolled Monash Malaysia students. Financially, it means I have to fork out RM18k for my first semester before being eligible for this scholarship. A lot of faith is required.

Or, I can go to Singapore’s NUS. This is another attractive option because the MOE Singapore offers tuition grants and loans  to students who cannot afford the universities there – a good trick to ensure foreign talents stay in Singapore. If you can’ read behind the lines and actions of these Singaporean financial aids, please re-read. If I accept their offer and financial aid there, I will be bonded to Singapore for 3 years and possibly longer. Personally, I love Singapore and the living environment there. It is modern, safe, and efficient. Seriously, if I even go there, I will stay and never come home. =)

Engineering is traditionally a man’s job. (Think Mythbusters!) You blow things up. You make things happen. You create things from raw materials. I love these Mythbusters-like stuff, but can I do them in Monash? I don’t know.

Slightly off tangent, during the Star Education Fair I was a bit disappointed with some of their education officers who disbursed the wrong information to me. I reckon it might be due to the long hours of explaining the same thing over and over again. To Monash Malaysia, I hope you would take note of this and ensure that all marketing officers are fully informed because first impression counts.

Option 4: Accountancy

I spoke with my uncle about this profesion and I gained a lot of first-hand information. Accountancy is fun if you love numbers, and know what the numbers mean. It is fun if you know how to construct the financial background and profile of a company from the numbers.

He spoke about his days as an auditor and I enjoyed his sharing very much. But I am not sure whether this profesion is for me because I am not a very office person. I can’t sit still in office sifting through documents. I need to blow things up, or do some CPR to keep me focused.

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I will keep all four in view. I am still sitting and praying through it. It will be a long waiting process.