Being a Doctor Flashcards
Why do you want to study medicine?
- Interest in the complexities of the human body and what can go wrong. This ties in with the in depth pathology and physiology of medicine
- A career where I can make a difference to the world – Life is very important to us as a society, so being in a position to save lives and improve quality of life allows doctors to have a very positive impact on civilization
- The opportunity to work with and help people on a daily basis – I experienced what its like to care for someone through my work as a healthcare assistant. Through helping people with small tasks such as washing and making food, it allowed me to realise my desire to help others and the fact that I would be well-suited to a profession in medicine.
- The chance to constantly learn and apply - I would be learning throughout my whole career in medicine which provides for a very exciting occupation in which there is always something new. This was highlighted on my work experience when doctors with 25 years of experience would attend presentations and take notes.
What are some skills that make a good doctor and how have you developed these skills.
- Good communication
- The ability to work effectively as part of a team
- Equanimity
- Possessing depth of knowledge and being able to apply that knowledge
- All of these skills were highlighted to me when observing multidisciplinary teams during a hernia repair.
- The lead surgeon demonstrated his depth of knowledge by fluently navigating his way through the surgery.
- Despite the pressures of operating, he carried the procedure out without complication, while staying calm and composed, which displayed his equanimity.
- All of the staff in the MDP communicated effectively as a team throughout the surgery, with each member conscious of the roll they played.
- All these qualities displayed by the MDP were of great importance as it led to a smooth procedure, and the best possible patient outcome.
- As patient outcome is primary in everything a healthcare professional does, this has demonstrated to me the necessity of these qualities in a good doctor.
- I have developed all of these qualities through my military training.
- To function effectively as a member of a team, your knowledge of SOPs have to be up to date and you must have the ability to put them into practice.
- For a section/platoon to stay combat effective, communication and teamwork is essential. It is vital that the position and movement of all personnel is made known, otherwise casualties from the enemy and friendly fire can be suffered.
- You must stay calm and maintain focus during times of stress. If you do not keep your composure your squad members can get hurt. You must all look out for each other.
What are the key behavior skills you’ve witnessed of a doctor?
- Witnessed these key behavioural skills when shadowing psychiatrist and observing doctor-patient interactions
- Communication – both speaking and listening. Ensure you communicate clearly and in terms that will allow your patient to understand. Actively listen to what the patient has to say and nod your head to show them they are being listened to. Clear communication with other colleagues is also very important to ensure patient safety.
- Time management and organization – The Doctors knew where they had to be and when before the day started. The arrived promptly to work and ensured they track of time so they could stick to their schedule
- Patience – To ensure comfortability in patients, doctors went at a pace the patient was comfortable with and allowed them to be eased into conversation. This was also highlighted as doctors know treatment and recovery can take a long time and aren’t completed overnight.
- Compassion – Allows patients to feel comfortable and shows them that we truly do care, we understand what they’re going through and we want to help.
- Honesty – doctor-patient relationships must contain trust. Without honesty there is no trust. They must feel that you have their best interests in mind and that you will be open regarding their course of treatment
- Respect - This allows the patient to feel safe and valued as an individual and will result in a better doctor-patient relationship.
What are the behaviors of a doctor that you have witnessed and when have you displayed these behaviors?
- Doctors that I observed acted very selflessly and would constant put the patients needs before their own. This would be apparent especially after a long work day where doctors would be tired yet still strive to delivery the best patient care.
- They all acted with compassion to make the patient feel comfortable and show that they were there to help and had their best interest in mind. They achieved this through acting with kindness and empathy and communicating in a calm manner using language patients would understand
Respect
• I have displayed these behaviors through my work as a healthcare assistant where I had to work long hours and walk to each service users house. I also displayed compassion and kindness to make them feel comfortable and to show them that their care was my primary concern.
What have you done to prepare and better understand a career in medicine?
1) Work as a healthcare assistant
• Working as a healthcare assistant has allowed me to gain first-hand experience of what it means to care for someone. I kept their best interests in mind, showed them I cared and was there to help, and treated them with respect and kindness. This allowed me to develop compassion, which is very important in a doctor, as the patient is always their first concern.
• development of key behavioral skill such as patience and communication
2) Work experience
• Good communication
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Equanimity
• Possessing depth of knowledge and being able to apply that knowledge
• All of these skills were highlighted to me when observing multidisciplinary teams during a hernia repair.
What attracts you to medicine rather than nursing?
- Nurses are a vital component of healthcare that we could not function without and doctor patient partnerships are essential for providing effective patient treatment.
- I feel that my attributes are more suited to the career of a doctor and my learning desires are better geared towards the study of medicine over nursing at university
- Nurses are primarily involved in implementing treatment for patients, whereas the roll of a doctor lies more in the cure and diagnosis of illness. Pathology interests me greatly and is a major part of medicine
- I have a strong desire to lead and take responsibility for my patients. Doctors are responsible for managing health care plans for patients.
- At university, the study of the physiology of the human body and pathology is more in depth in medicine than it is in nursing. I have an intense fascination with the human body and wish to know how it works in detail.
What challenges do you think you will face as a doctor and how do you think you would overcome these?
1) Heavy workload and having to balance personal life and work commitments
• Heavy workload can be a course of great stress – talk about coping with stress
• During my time in secondary school, I had to balance study, extra curriculars and family life
• I used organizational strategies such as timetabling
• I would sometimes not be realistic in goals sets academically, resulting in me neglecting extracurriculars and family life, which is not ideal as you have a commitment to these important things.
• I had to acknowledge this and put in place a more sensible objectives to achieve to make time for everything.
2) Dealing with mortality
• Doctors are frequently exposed to mortality
• This can take a huge mental and emotional toll on the individual
• Exposed to mortality at a young age
• Acknowledge the idea that is it a part of life
• Keep in mind the idea that you tried your best
• Acknowledge the fact that doctor are not robots and medicine is not a perfect science.
What extracurricular activities do you do and how do you think these relate to medicine?
Instruments / judo
• Attention to detail – there is only 1 way to play (in exams) – Allows you to spot obscure information and potential abnormalities (ex scan) that could lead to a diagnosis
• Enhances creativity – modifications to songs – combination throws – gathering information and concepts in order to come up with a solution.
• Persistence – practice makes perfect – allows you to push through when times are hard and never giving up.
• Commitment – medicine is a life long commitment
• Managing mistakes/preventing mistakes under pressure – in medicine it is important in difficult circumstances to keep composure and not to let it cloud your judgment.
Have you thought about what you would like to specialize in?
Paediatrics
• Differences in physiology between infants, children and adolescents and adults leads to uniqueness and an added layer of complexity.
• Infants and small children have smaller airways, Thoracic injuries are more fatal due to lack of complete ossification or ribs and sternum, young children have relatively larger heads and underdeveloped musculature
• Must pay attention to growth and development issues.
• Many sub specialties, neonatal, neurology, emergency medicine
• Story about when I was sick
• No career more fulfilling
• Although I have an interest in pediatrics, I am keen to learn more about other disciplines and am keeping my options open
Can you tell me about any significant medical stories in the news at the moment?
During the pandemic, the advancements made in diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccine manufacturing and medical telecommunications will transform the future of healthcare.
• COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst in the development of technology and systems that were thought not to be achievable any time soon.
Pros
1) Revolutionary RNA vaccine has been produced by Pfizer, that is both cheaper and easier to produce
• The factory in a shoe box is capable of producing 600 doses in 60 seconds
• The factory uses flow chemistry that emulates mechanisms of the human body, so any type of RNA molecule can be created for different vaccines. Versatility.
• The production of RNA vaccines for different illnesses is easier as the whole production process stays the same. Normally, a new production line would have to be developed for every vaccine.
2) The movement of consultations and follow ups to online platforms such as zoom
• Allows patients easier access to healthcare services
• Improved patient experience - Patients can call from the comfort of their own homes and takes out travel time, waiting time and other potential frustrations
• Can improve efficiency as doctors can see more patients due to them not having to move around.
• This could set the standard and lead to the system not reverting to how it was previously.
Cons
• Though the COVID vaccine has gone through rigorous testing that produced very positive results, the long term effects of RNA vaccines are not known
• Online consultations were initially scrutinized heavily but are now praised - This article could suggest that we have settled for mediocrity because we have become accustomed to these new methods.
• It could be argued that we our transitioning too hastily and these methods need to be developed further until they reach an adequate standard.
1) Changing the profession into something different
• An important part of delivering effective treatment is the social interaction
• Online consultations take away this aspect and alter the profession.
• More difficult to assess wellbeing as things such as non-verbal communication
Challenges facing doctors in 21st century
1) Shortage of doctors
• far less than EU average (2.8 per 1000 compared to 3.4 per 1000)
• Caused by not as many medical students, doctors retiring early, losing doctors to abroad.
1) Ageing population
• Medicine allows patients to stay alive for longer but will generally be in poorer health later in life.
• Doctors will need to constantly learn and update their practises as elderly patient treatment evolves.
• Many elderly patients have multimorbidity – doctors have fight against many conditions simultaneously.
• From 2017 to 2040 UK population of people aged over 65 is projected to increase by 49%
• Ways to prevent - prevention, help people stay in work, manage long term conditions, keep housing safe and warm
2) Rise in demand
• Ties in with ageing population.
• Hospital admissions between 2010/2011 – 2018/2019 rose by 15%, with elderly patients accounting for most of the growth.
3) Lack of funding
• Without funding, there is not enough resources such as beds to treat patients (highlighted by corona virus pandemic)
• This can results in a tense work environment that is not pleasant to work in.
• 2020 will be the lowest growth in funding the NHS has ever received since introduction in 1948
4) The use of the internet by patients
• Loads of misinformation on the internet
• The internet can spark anxiety and paranoia in patients
• Patients can demand certain treatments
• This can lead to more challenging patient-doctor interactions
• Not the patient’s fault
