The world of Tzu Chi September 2020 (Vol.126)

2020 • 09 58 umanistic Medicine Translated by Lim Wen Xin Reminder to Self: Be a Compassionate Doctor I believe everyone has been asked this question in childhood: What is your ambition? Becoming a doctor was not my aspiration. I grew up in a sheltered environment without having to overcome many troubles in life. I did not experience much suffering. I managed to secure a government scholarship for my tertiary education with my outstanding results. Naturally, I chose to study medicine in university. In my third year, my stint at a hospital for my clinical pathology class exposed me to the real world. After encountering all kinds of patients, I discovered my passion for practising medicine. When I was a medical student, I liked spending time interacting with patients in the ward, learning to enquire about their medical history through casual conversations. Their most common complaint was that doctors were hesitant to explain their illness to them, hindering them from fully understanding their condition. Their other concern was impeded comprehension when Malay doctors attempt to clarify their condition in Malay without translation. Therefore, I would try to inform them of their condition with my limited medical knowledge, hoping to enable them to better understand their condition. Whenever I crossed paths with senior doctors with an unfavourable attitude, I would remind myself to never follow in their footsteps. Conversely, I have also come across some excellent doctors, whose common trait was none other than their willingness to spend more time with patients. Often, the only time a busy doctor is able to spare is as brief as 15 minutes of his meal break. Yet, I feel that the time sacrificed is worthwhile. The real test came when I embarked on my housemanship. Once, I encountered a newly-admitted patient during my night shift. He was discharged the day before, with his left leg amputated due to necrotizing fasciitis (an infection that results in the destruction of soft tissues). His wife realized something amiss upon arriving home – he failed to respond to her calls and developed a high fever. She rushed him back to the hospital and learnt that the amputated limb had been infected. The wife looked grim, as if deeply frustrated. I set aside my task at hand and asked, “May I help?” With that, she launched into an indignant tirade, lamenting that the doctor had never communicated with her properly since her husband’s admission to the hospital, causing her to rush Spending time with patients has taught me to treat every patient and their family with respect, empathy and gratitude.