Adversity is something everyone is impacted by somehow in their life. Although, those in medical careers that help extremely sick patients often are dealing with adversity on the daily. In the Final Exam, Pauline Chen the main character and the author of the book a general surgeon and liver specialist is faced with many adverse situations that she needs to deal with. One of such situations is when a little boy is in need of a liver transplant. The 2 year old boy was too small for an adult liver and children livers are a rare thing to be able to use.
When I was in third grade, I was diagnosed with a medical condition that required me to go to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh multiple times per month. It was boring, annoying, and sometimes painful. I never enjoyed going and that didn’t change as I got older. But when I just started going, I was very sick. Between the one hundred two-degree fever I had and the amount of blood they had to take out of me for tests, I felt miserable.
“Women are sterilized in the surgical ward. What difference does it make since none of them will return, since none of us will return.” - Charlotte Delbo Doctors are supposed to be the bearer of life. They are the healers. When sickness befalls a person doctors are called to relieve the patient’s suffering and pain.
Defeating Hep C Having Hepatitis C was an enormous obstacle in my life. But, through the advancements in medical technology, emotional resilience, having spiritual faith with family support, I was able to get through the treatments and be cured of the disease. My daughter also struggled and overcame the disease. After being diagnosed with Hep C in 1997, I was in complete denial because I had no physical symptoms of the disease. In fact, I did not believe the physicians at that time.
Growing up in a small, rural community the majority of the population was uninsured and underserved. Access to primary healthcare was limited with most physicians’ offices being close to an hour drive one way. I grew up seeing both of my parents work two jobs and still having to make the decision to put their health on the back burner due to lack of finances or insufficient insurance coverage. This often led to numerous emergency department visits because of the lack of access to a primary care physician who could have provided preventative care. This was not only an issue within my home but throughout the town.
One night, I woke up to my sister screaming; her body was drenched in sweat, and she repeatedly said, “I can’t move my legs”. I was young then and didn’t understand what she meant. I slowly lifted the covers off of her legs. They looked perfectly normal to me, so I asked her to wiggle her toes. Thirty seconds went by, and no movement occurred; she says, “I really can’t move my legs”.
Beginning with discussions of the sick role, and expectations of what is socially expected of a sick person, we learn that in contrast to the sick role, within society, physicians are expected to be competent and responsible (Parsons 1951: 293). Physicians are also, of course, members of a profession, where they learn how to embody their roles as expected by their practice, their patients, and society (Becker et al. 1961). Becoming a physician involves a process of socialization where trainees are exposed to the opinions of their peers, as well as the expectations of their instructors. This socialization in the role of a “physician” prepares physicians for the social role of their title, and gives physicians authority over trainees, patients, and medical discourse within the larger society (Friedson 2007 [1970]: 41-41). Physicians are experts; they have knowledge about the body and illness, which gives them power and a position of expertise (Foucault 1980
Since a child I was always held responsible for attending doctor 's appointments with my parents due to their language barrier. Surprisingly, I never felt that responsibility as a burden because hospitals intrigued me. The polar emotions of safety and fear simultaneously, fascinated me. With this awareness when I began taking science courses at North Shore Community College, I found that the subject also fascinated me. The components of liking the hospital and material, had led me to the realization that I had a calling for the medical field.
More than a year ago, my fears and worst nightmares were nothing compared to what I witnessed at Dr. Jekyll’s cabinet. Back then, I was just 19 years old, broke, and with a hopeless dream. I wanted to study medicine, become recognized and respected, however, I am none of them. Now, I am 20 years old, still broke, and working as a mailman from Monday to Saturday for the man responsible of my disgrace and all of his respected friends. ‘Harold, you are becoming a great doctor,’ said Dr. Jekyll.
Through my studies of human expression and its reflection of how people deal with world events in different ways, I developed sensitivity to other worldviews that continues to prove useful through my daily interactions with people of different backgrounds. I have learned that just like art, medicine involves pattern recognition and derives insight from experiences. Similarly, what I especially enjoy about being a medical assistant is interacting with patients on a daily basis and getting to be a part of their medical experiences, even if it is just by lending an ear. The experiences on my path to a career in medicine have made me want to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of those around me – a difference that leaves my patients in a better condition than they were in before I met them.
Before we even know what to do with patients we need to understand physiology viruses, infections, etc., in order to treat them accordingly. There are not enough of the understated groups involved in learning about the aliments that target our people, it is left to people who are not impacted as much which makes no sense because there could be something in our culture that could be the key ingredient to treating the aliment. A simple practice like the way womb is dressed could be a break in medical engineering but there isn’t a heavy presence of underrepresented groups and people don’t realize that a lot of this. I wasn’t even aware till these physicians opened up my eyes and I felt like my choice to become a cardiovascular surgeon had even more purpose besides my
As time passed, things began to come together. I realized my interactions with fifes and drums recruits, my “little brother”, hospice patients, and fellow pupils had elements of the interactions that effective physicians must
Sometimes it's a lot on their hands but they still choose to help they don't even know. All they know about them is what's on that clipboard. They choose to help people everyday. I believe in doctors and what they do. When I go to the doctors office they always greet me with a warm smile.
My interest in the profound was fulfilled while seeing patients in the clinic and hospital floors. Hearing the patients’ stories and seeing the gratitude after their cancer was removed, their sinuses cleared, their voice restored, their hearing improved- filled me with a sense of joy. I wanted to be the reason a man could hear his family again, a woman could sing in the choir again, a grandfather could boast he was cancer-free. These stories inspired me to excel in my studies, to serve as a medical volunteer in rural villages, and to give back as a patient advocate at student-run health clinics. Some of the greatest benefits of medicine in our world are due to selfless patient care, and I hope to follow in the footsteps of the compassionate physicians I’m learning from and practice with these ideals in
As a doctor, your patients put a great deal of trust in you. They literally put their lives in your hands. And why wouldn’t they? As far as the public is concerned, you’re a genius. A miracle worker.
