Define worth it.
Singapore Medicine not very humanistic la.
I'm a fam physician and i work in a polyclinic where i see 50 patients a day.
Today i have a patient 68 years old who has cerebral palsy. Brought in by her 60 year old sister.
Her case is simple, just check some blood, make sure her kidneys function didnt fail so that the anti-convulsants she is on dont kill her.
however her sister has a lot of questions ( covid vaccination, this and that) and also requested like 8 other standby medication ( creams, cough med etc).
I got somewhat irritated, but ok, let do it.
Then the sister whip out her own queue chit and requested to be seen also. Her appointment time is actually 2 hours away.
I lost it. My tone change, i frown at her , sigh at her, tsk at her.
End up this poor sister keep apologizing to me for jumping the queue. I did consulted her medical problem eventually, but in a slipshod way.
Right now , i'm guilty as anything as im drinking my wine.
Thinking back, i asked myself why this happen.
What happen to my compassion? Care for patient.
Then i realised it because i need to see 50 patients a day. Every second count
Do you know
MOH give each patient 10 mins per slot at the polyclinic.
10 minutes. come into room, tell me her problems ( note the plural) , i have to clarify many things, examine her, order medicine, type out my notes.
ALL IN TEN MINTUES.
Do this 45 times a day.
How to be humanistic?
Got once, i meet this old chap in polyclinic. He is 75, hanging on to his life with stage 3 prostrate cancer and have parkinson. He looks uneducated but is immensely intelligent.
It was raining and not very busy, so i kapo a bit
I noted that he defaulted many of this appointment.
I ask him why
He says he doesnt like the doctor in the hospital, cos they dun have care for the patient.
' 没有爱心‘ was his exact words.
In that spur of the moment, i told him 爱心是有限的.
You are my 41st patient of the day liao. If i give u all the 爱心 you all want, i will be dry liao. 医生也是人。We all want you to be well, but we cant manja you all the time
Last i check , he actually went back to see his urologist and neurologist. haha
This is a difficult but interesting field la
Go for it. Only 1 life. Do it.
but hor, see my advice above. Go to a med school Singapore recognise.