blessed.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
[ Jeremiah 29:11 ]

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Thursday, June 08, 2006

10:22 pm

wednesday

We sat in with the doctor from 8.30am to 10am. He was expounding on the importance of communication in the healthcare industry. It's something that is not taught and cannot be taught in medical school. In this day of medical and technological advancement at break-neck speed, it is not the breakthroughs and new treatments that matter most. Ironically, it is the basic human-to-human interaction -- communication, that makes a difference. Communication is the key to developing a healthy doctor-patient relationship, and more importantly, trust. Honestly speaking, all doctors should be equally proficient and have the same level of expertise in treating illnesses. Afterall, they DID graduate from medical school. It is not as if some doctors keep a secret stash of medicines under their drawer or something. You see at the end of the day, what makes a doctor "better" than the others is his/her ability to communicate well with the patients. This is one of the most valuable lessons i learnt on this attachment.

Later, we visited the Diabetic Foot Screening and Diabetic Retinal Photography. They provide care for the diabetics and education for their caregivers. This is an important step because this care, or the lack thereof, could mean a difference between an amputated limb or not. The nurses help doctors to look out for areas at risk of infection and spend time with the patients that doctors cannot afford.

Anyway, we also visited the Diagnostic Lab. They carry out simple tests here such as blood count, glucose level and urine microscopy. They also have ECG and radiography facilities. We spoke to a radiographer who was very dedicated and enjoyed her job greatly. She told us about commitment when you decide to enter the healthcare industry. Before entering the course, seriously ask yourself some questions. Would you be able to withstand the pressure from family and friends who tell you to quit when an epidemic such as SARS occurs? Would you be able to take the social stigma associated with working in the hospital? As part of this industry, you MUST HAVE the moral responsibility and obligation to stand with it throughout. Are you prepared to face the stress of working in shifts and being on call, especially in the early years of your career? You may have to forego social gatherings, and your social life could be near zero just because you chose to enter this field. (She had to miss quite a few of her friends’ weddings because of the same reason.) The decision comes from you alone.

Oh, and she wanted me to help her dispel some myths and commonly held notions about radiography. You will not die/develop cancer due to “overexposure” to radiation in X-ray photography. In the room, you are adequately shielded by the thick lead glass and barium-lined walls. Exposure to radiation in the job is much lower than what you will be exposed to while sunbathing or riding in an aeroplane. So you can still continue working even if you are pregnant. The only possible risk is when working with nuclear medicine, dealing with radioactive substances that emit gamma rays. (yea. you should know that gamma rays cannot be blocked) She said something that was quite true as well. Healthcare is actually not that dangerous a profession because you are dealing with a known enemy and are properly shielded from it. However, the risks are real. You could accidentally poke yourself with a needle that was used by a patient with Hep B or HIV =S Who knows?

So moral of story is this: Make sure you are aware of the sacrifices you have to be ready to make before embarking on anything/any career. Make a wise, informed decision so that you will not regret.

We went for lunch, bought a “thank you” card for the staff at BBP and visited the Pharmacy after that. Basically the Pharmacy forms the last communication point. It dispenses the medicines and clears any doubts patients might have because of the limited time with the doctor. The difference between a Doctor and a Pharmacist is: the doctor is involved with the diagnosis and appropriate treatment for diseases (ie, disease and medication). However, the pharmacist knows drug and their effects / side-effects in greater detail. Here, we helped the pharmacy scan the patients’ barcode and issue queue numbers. N seemed to enjoy it a lot for some reason that I do not fully comprehend. We only reported to Dr at around 4pm because he wanted to say longer over there =S

i went to serene centre later for BS before the SYFC pot-luck ;)

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