I remember when my son was much younger and he asked me, “Dad, how long did it take you to become a surgeon?”. I replied, “roughly 15 years son, after finishing year 12”. He almost fell off his chair laughing and said “what, you spent 15 years of your life to get called out in the middle of the night”. I thought about it and thought, “yeah, that’s a fair point!”

There are definitely times during medical and then surgical training when every single one of us question “why on earth are we doing this”. When all my mates were having fun on weekends we were swotting for exams. Often we had surgery to do the next morning and had to get an early night when all the guests were letting their hair down. Or we’d be at a party and have to leave for an emergency. But what about the money? Surely that’s an incentive. Unfortunately not. There are plenty of other professions especially in  business or the corporate world where you can make much than a doctor. But what about the respect or the prestige? LOL! That was a thing of the past. These days we are treated like any other trade. In a sense this is a good thing because it has meant the paternalistic days of doctors looking down on their patients is over. It’s now a joint decision on every interventional decision.

The bottom line here, is that the practice of medicine is a great privilege. Being entrusted with the health and lives by our patients makes medicine the most satisfying profession of all. There is nothing like the feeling of telling a patient or relative that their cancer surgery has gone well or that their tests have come back all clear. I’ve had big burly men break down in my office with relief.

Looking back, I feel incredibly grateful to have gained admission into medicine. I never considered myself one of the “smart kids”, but I worked hard and was fortunate enough to get in. And I had my Dad as a role model as a General surgeon. Beyond that, becoming a good doctor meant being affable, available and able, the 3A’s! We often have work experience students come and spend time with us and it brings back that excitement I had when i wanted to become a doctor. I always tell them, “it’s the best profession in the world”!

As i finish penning this blog on a Saturday morning, in between part of a major 10 hour surgery, my colleagues are working hard to render our patient cancer free. Prayers for his safe recovery.

In Health and Wellness

Ranjit