A few of our colleagues leave for non-clinical job in the recent years, and it looks as if there are a few more to come. In fact, the little girl who joined us for a week or so is considering resign - the stress is just too much.
I consider it as a failure of the system - of the medical school (or the education system as a whole). Although medical career has a broad sense and encompasses many "non-clinical" jobs - pathologists, microbiologists, radiologists, and anesthetists - the majority of our graduates should end up doing clinical ones. (In fact, many non-clinical doctors would have an edge if they have clinical experience.) If we assume personality, including the capability of handling stress, cannot be altered, we must have recruited inappropriate students to the medical school, and we should do some kind of personality test for the applicants - not just look at their high school examination result.
KM and so forth laugh at this idea; I cannot agree either. True, personality cannot be changed; but capability of handling stress can. Alas, at least people can be desensitized. Nowadays our educationalists are so kind to the students - not only in medical school, but from the very kids onwards - that they have never walked on their own feet until they first see a hungry tiger. No wonder they are quickly torn into pieces.
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2 comments:
Dear Dr. Szeto,
I think that people can only be desensitised to stress if their survival depended on it, or if they just truly believe in what they are doing.
Perhaps right now, there are many choices, and people prefer to have a "job" rather than a "career".
To opt for something easier, or with a future that most people believe is better- is that not human nature?
Dear Kirsty,
I fully agree we should opt for something easy. It is just a feeling that too many of our budding graduates speculate (and not a very wise one) rather than invest in their job. For example, they see quick promotion and excellent QOL of radiologist and anesthetist now, but I see there are more anesthetist than surgeon 20 years later !
Szeto
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