Syonara

Have jumped ship to http://shariffm.wordpress.com

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Library no more?

Today to my surprise the medicine library was packed. Surprised as the whole fac is over with exams and enjoying their new postings or holidays. On closer look I realised that they were mostly from science. I did not realise that medicine library is so...popular? Oh well! I cannot imagine what is going to happen once it's demolished in a month or two. Apparently all our books will be moved to the Science Library. So I guess there's going to be war brewing soon? Imagine two faculties...no four including Dentistry and Nursing together with Science and Medicine fighting over 3-4 floors of space. I figure pandemonium and some really unhappy faces.

I guess the key word here will be COEXISTENCE.

Without Wax
Shariff

Osler's musing

" The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with you head. Often, the best part of your work will have nothing to do with potions and powders, but with the exercise of an influence of the strong upon the weak. of the righteous upon the wicked, of the wise upon the foolish." - Sir William Osler

Inspiring words indeed.

Without wax
Shariff

Looking forward

As I sit back listening to snow patrol this very moment, I've realised that it's been days since I've been so relaxed. No worries for now, no figuring out for the next CA or watever. This year began and ended. Just like that. Two years of medical school. It's like I've been through primary, secondary and JC in two years. Not much of a break. Every holiday was spent studying for the next exam. So much sacrifices had to be made. Many would say it would pay in the long run. But time lost is never made up. Whatever goes away never comes back. Oh well! It a week long break before E clinics and the 3rd year and I'm going to enjoy every moment of this weeks!

I really cannot wait for e clinics. It's going to be a big transition. Something different. Something we've never experianced before in its wholeness. Something that is atypical to anyone's experiance in a typical university life. Wearing office wear everyday, going to hospitals, understanding about IC, talking to people from all walks of life. And definitely going all over Singapore, the hospitals I mean. As I enter this phase in my life, I have to stop and think about what I said during my interviews.

Nope, I never said I was going to save the world, nor did I say that I was going to earn top dollars. Whenever I think about this, I remember that i quoted:

"We are here to add what we can to, not to get what we can from, Life. " -The Life of Sir William Osler, by Harvey Cushing

I think that may have impressed the interviewers abit. But then again, it was the one and only thing that I can remember from Sir William Osler's long list of quotes. I guess this is true for many people in many areas!

Without Wax
Shariff

Hiatus Hernia

Wow! It's been 3 months since I last put in an entry. Hmm.... looks like I may have to do something about it. Maybe not. Exams came, left and exams are about to begin again. All you out there not in med fac, count yourself lucky... (maybe not lawyers)...cause seriously you guys get long holidays, while we get at best 2-3 weeks from now on. You have papers, research reports, lab reports, and so on but you don't have to have lessons at ungodly hours (like 5pm to 10Pm for E-med posting ala year 3, including weekends). The next academic year starts as soon as the previous ones end. Stressful but I like this life!! At least you're always kept busy with something.

Today is exactly 2 years since I enlisted in the army. All my batchmates have ORDed and I've been reflecting now about my interview for medicine. I once said that I want to make the world a better place, cure people this and that. The after 2 years, I've come to realise that that was a bunch of crap! Curing people is just one fifth of the story.

As someone once said sometime ago, "You cure a few, treat some but comfort all" That summarizes the story doesn't it. We cannot decide who dies and who lives. Some one up there does it. We try to prevent it but after all we are nothing but human. But the main idea is to comfort all. Reduce the pain. Help them in their passing and make it as painless as possible. Give a listening year always, as that is what will give us a clue to what is wrong. The emphasis on patient history is that great. Communication is vital. Be open and truthful. That is what we're taught to do.

With all the medical advances, we can only do so much because, the truth is, as we progress deeper and deeper towards a cure, like a bog pit, we just keep sinking deeper and deeper. We have indeed created "monsters" in our pursuit of treatment. Multi drug resistant strains of organisms were created due to the overexessive use of antibiotics. Common cold--> antibiotics? Where antibiotics should only be given for bacterial infections. That's why we have come up with restrictions to the use of antibiotics, but is it too little too late?

I guess its everything has consequences. Every action has an equal opposite reaction. Something that we should all keep in mind!

Without Wax
Shariff