Answers

My cousin Azalea asked me how do I feel being a doctor. Simple question but difficult answer. So instead of just answering in the chatbox I'll answer here.

Truth be told, I LOVE being a doctor. I like asking patients about their problems in clinic/ward. They love the attention they're getting from me. Sometimes all they want is attention and someone being sympathetic to them.

Like one time a patient complain of nausea. She kept complaining of it until the nurse was fed up and demanded that I increase the dose of anti-nausea medication. I went to see the patient. She did feel quite sick. I let her complain and whinge and when she felt like she was going to retch I told her to sit up and I patted/rubbed her back (you know how it feels like if you feel like you're gonna vomit; lega skit kalau orang tepuk2 belakang). Got some ice cubes for her to suck and spent some time with her. And after that she said she felt a lot better (and I didn't have to give her extra anti-nausea drugs).

But what I keep whinging about being a doctor is all the P.O.L.I.T.I.C.S, hierarchy, paperwork and unsavoury human interactions. It is all extremely vexing and sometimes very menyakitkan hati.

Hate list
1. Rude patients and relatives

2. Delirious patients who are unintentionally rude and difficult. Pernah kene marah ngan delirious patient because nak ambik darah dia. He shouted at me and said "Stupid! Use your brain!". Boleh rasa tak ikhlas tau nak tolong orang camni. Kadang-kadang ada jugak rasa kalau dia mati lagi bagus. Memang teruk tapi kene sabar. Lagipun bukan salah dia berperangai camtu.

3. Obnoxious consultants whose demands are unfeasible

4. Allied health and hospital protocols that we have to follow and get in trouble if we don't do it to the dot. Have to fill in this form to do this, that form to do that. This form needs to be faxed, that one needs to be sent in person. Need to fill forms online, offline, underline and overline. Laa dee daa laa dee daa.


5. Rude, over-demanding, stubborn, think-they-know-it-all nurses who sometimes refuse to cooperate and don't understand that their issues is not the only issue we have to deal with that day

6. Also nurses yang malas ambik darah, put in IV drip and semuanya tinggalkan untuk kitorang buat - macam tak cukup kerja lain aje

So there's my answer. I'm sure it's the same in any profession you can name. You might enjoy some aspect of the job but there will always be something to whinge about. Selagi mana kita deal dengan manusia, selagi tu la ada je benda yang tak best dan menyakitkan hati.