I realised I haven’t written anything in a long while. A long time ago I promised myself that I would only write when the need/ want/ desire struck me. Because this blog is and has always primarily been a place for me to be honest about my own journey through medicine and life in general. And I don’t want to pollute it by being artificial…
writing is such an inherent and instinctive part of me that separating the craft from the person is almost impossible. My writing is me, I am my writing. Being a doctor to me is actually sort of similar.
Being a doctor, it is hard to separate the vocation or ‘the calling’ from the person.
A friend asked me recently…’do you get tired of talking about medicine?’
No, I thought. Never. I love medicine. Probably more than I love Harry Potter or space-time (and hey, those two are my favourite topics of discussion these days). But yes, I do get bored of talking about the politics of the NHS, or the waiting times, or the constant complaints. I get tired of the bureaucracy that makes it hard for me to do my job. The endless exams that make me question my worth and put my life on hold. and the constant mindless jobs that slow down my clinical work.
But I never get tired of medicine because I think it is a calling. Anyone could train to be a doctor. But to continue being a doctor even when you’re not at work, even when it seems like the healthcare system is at a monumental fundamental shift, requires you to embody the qualities we often see in doctors.
Thing is, I’m pretty sure I haven’t changed. I’ve just gained more knowledge and life experience. And that’s the crux of it all, I think. You either have the personality to be a doctor or you don’t.
Anyone (IMO) can be a doctor. But the art of being a good one is inherent and not easily taught.
-V-
Medi Bites 