Today
was the first day of what I hope will be a very exciting and rewarding medical
career. My very first instructors were patients, which I think is really
incredible. It made me realize that much of my medical education will come
from the patients I see. A group of about 10 patients with diseases such as
ovarian cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease came to speak with
us. One by one, these patients walked to the front of the lecture hall and told
us about their diseases. The whole setting was very dramatic. Then we broke up into smaller groups and got to ask the patients more personal questions.
The
first patient I got to talk with had battled depression most of her life. Today
she taught me that we should not be afraid to talk to people with mental
illness about their condition. There is quite a stigma associated with
mental illness, and we often feel like it is inappropriate for us to discuss this
with the affected individual. Additionally, sometimes we do not know how to
handle it or what to say. Asking the individual about their illness shows that
you care. Furthermore, she spoke very highly of her psychiatrist and said that
the psychiatrist had confidence in her. I will try to remember to always have
confidence in my patients and their ability to improve.
The
second patient I talked with had contracted Polio at a young age and had been
in a wheelchair nearly her whole life. Today she taught me that we should never
shy away from trying to include people with disabilities. Oftentimes we
will not invite disabled people to events, gatherings, or parties because we
feel that the disabled people might not fit in. It is bad enough that these people have disabilities, and not inviting them only makes it worse. We should always extend the invitation and allow the disabled
person to decide whether or not he/she will attend.
Right
from day one, I feel I have learned how to be a better doctor, and this
knowledge did not come from my professors, but from patients. It was definitely
a day I will remember for the rest of my life.
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