So, other than disseminating information, I created this blog to let me post thoughts on things that interest me or things that I've been pondering. This will be one of those posts.
Having sat at a window seat of the library at my current University for the last 3 weeks (I'm writing my thesis for my MSc), I've had the opportunity to watch incoming students as they go through their orientation week activities. Being a veteran of the university (I did my BSc and MSc here), I know how they feel, but it's strange looking at them as someone who knows so much about the place they will spend a good chunk of their lives at. Moreso, I sat in my little corner one day and watched as the new medical students played their med games, did their tours and bonded as many do during orientation activities. As I watched them, I wondered to myself, "Are they so different from the rest of the student populace?"
I asked this because, obviously, I was not accepted into medical school in Canada. Had I been, the theme for this blog would be much different. That's not to say that I am bitter, as I am incredibly happy to be attending Flinders, but rather that I am curious. What is it about them that is so different from those that do not make it? Despite the tangible differences such as GPA or MCAT scores (both of which are often matters of persistence and dedication than some inherent quality), is there a quality that is required of someone to be a doctor? Is it empathy? Adaptability? Intelligence?
I'm curious. If a survey were done of the medical profession, what would be the values that doctors themselves would value the most? Would this correlate with the strict admission standards that Canadian medical schools adhere to? What about what the public's opinion on what is the most perceived valuable asset? I'm not sure, really.
Since I am not a doctor or someone that has significantly worked in a healthcare field, I'm not sure. So, that leads me to the big question that almost every medical student, it seems, goes through. What is it about me that will make me a great doctor and, if I do not have that, how can I get it? I don't want to be a middle-of-the-pack physician. I want to, regardless of my specialty, be someone that will positively change the area that I live in whilst minimizing any negative impact. Will my education give that to me, or is this something that will be learned through practice?
Sigh... so many questions and absolutely no answers.
As for now, I guess I'll have to be happy in knowing that the future is going to be interesting.
1 comment:
The method of a good doctor is what you do when you get out. I rolled my eyes back in first year when people compared whether they got a first round offer and what their qualifications were. Sigh. You might know some of those things before you graduate but you haven't "done them" as a doctor yet. Some people have some of it down before they start med, from a previous life, but realistically everyone is given a chance to learn it by the end of 4th year. There are less distinctions at the end based on what you started with than you might think.
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