Each year I see young faces come and join the emergency department. It gives me a mixed feeling each time this happens. On one end I feel like loosing one more year of my productive life, and on the other aspect I feel energized and motivated to see more people that I can train and make them productive members of the society.
I am well aware of my limitation and know that a day will come, when either I will be forced to leave the work because of any unanticipated medical problem or will retire due to age related issues. So this is not what I want to share with you. I would like for all of us to look into things that are more important than that. It is the impact that one has while working anywhere and spending his youth and productive years. So I am interested in making my circle of life meaningful and productive.
My circle of productive life began a few decades ago when I became a physician. Things were very different, and we were exposed to very challenging circumstances. We were exposed to different people, situations and environments. We learned how to best deal with these situations. Sometimes we were taught specific lessons and other times we get educated by simply being part of the situation.
I leaned very early that it is not as important that where did I spent my life, but it was utmost important to see how my life is been spent. Did I make any impression and did I become an agent for the change. I also learned that it is very hard to do anything big, but relatively easy to do things small. So rather than spending life always planning to do big, I concentrated on doing small things and trying my best to create a lasting impression.
I also realized that how important it is to lead by example at all levels. When I was moving back from USA, my friends argued with me on ways to help my birth country. Most of them were of the opinion that if I really want to help the country, I should send the money, support a charity or volunteer on vacation to educate. After about 6 years of living in Pakistan I have realized how good of a decision was it to come back to Pakistan. I have realized that Pakistan does not need financial aid. It needs compassionate physicians who are willing to do what they are best at without regards to what their financial worth is.
Capacity building of Pakistani physicians can never be done amicably with borrowed resources. Ground realities aside but when people are not emotionally attached to anyone, their transfer of knowledge remain just that. It only creates lasting impression when their non-verbal communication is better than their verbal communication.
Experience has shown that non-verbal communication and informal teaching has changed lives, altered behaviors and created impacts far reaching than the classroom studies and world class lectures. It teaches them how to treat a patient as oppose to how to deal with a disease or condition.
Growing up I admired a lot of my teachers who showed compassion towards their patients and I learned piece by piece from them. This is my turn in my circle of life to be that person who continues the conversation with the next generation and becomes the agent of change. Each time this circle finishes and another one starts the overall situation should be seen as better and improved.
I am seeing my daughter knocking on the doors of medical college and about to start her first year of medical education. It is making me happy that the circle of life is ready for her to take another start, and at the same time I am seeing things that are much better than before.
I could be reached at erodoc@shifa.com.pk.