Medicine-Reigniting our Passion

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Medicine—Reigniting our Passion…

This is an interesting reflection on the medical profession especially when the country in the throbs of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. Makes me wonder why I did not choose a safer profession like being a pastor!

David Quek is a Consultant Cardiologist and President of the Malaysia Medical Association (2009-2010). He writes,

Being a medical doctor is certainly one profession, which can become an all-consuming life and living itself—one learns to eat, drink, and breathe medicine.

Our thoughts and thought processes are submerged within the lingering echoes and ethos of a Hippocratic ancien[t] regime: one of highly-structured codified dos and don’ts and exhortations of an intricately-crafted analytical process. Many are now lamenting the relevance of these methods and constraints, the seemingly outmoded sweeping codes, so enshrined within its antiquarian Aesculapian confines...

It is against this backdrop, that we should address the issue of where our medical profession is heading. With the onslaught of rising commercialism, market-driven personal consumerism, and greater patient autonomy, it is becoming increasingly hard for the medical professional to practice as a doctor.

A thought provoking article and worth the reading here

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