Medflexions (medicine reflections)

Crossing my legs and settling back into my chair, I had no idea what to expect when I entered the lecture theatre. Well, maybe that is a slight exaggeration. I had very little idea about what to actually expect. I feel that we always hear stories of success. But the truth is, only we know how to create our own successes. Whilst we  can truly benefit from absorbing the stories of others, in the end, we will be the ones who will call the shots, make the mistakes and take the opportunities. Each life is so special, rich and individual that no formula could ever be calculated to evaluate how to live ones life.

 There are many different types of personalities that all need to be applied to situations at different points in your life. We cannot approach every situation with the same outlook. For the best outcomes in life, it is not advised, and more importantly, practically impossible! For some situations in life, we will have to put on our cost-benefits analysis. At other times, we have to adjust the outlook, and maybe think about what are the future consequences. And again, we may have to break things down into manageable chunks, and approach it like that.  The truth is, we are all participating in the incredible balancing act of life. This is true not just for a student, but for any person. Reflecting on the experiences of Jenny Liu, a motivational speaker at the SB Dowton conference who studied Medicine at UNSW and is now in the middle of her PhD, I was truly inspired by how she used her opportunistic approach to life, even when there didn’t seem to be a wealth of options. She was also able to couple very diverse activities together. This was expressed in her love of medicine, which partnered with her love of pole dancing. She made me appreciate how being active outside of  medicine shows that to your patients that you are human.

Leading on from the need to utilise different components of one personality  at certain times in your life, there are a plethora of 'selfs' that can be adopted. So far, some of the most useful 'identities' that I have stumbled across in studying first year medicine include collaborator, opportunity seeker, optimist and realist. The last two may sometimes seem to contradict each other, but trust me, they are equally as important. You should always think of the positives, but that does not mean that you ignore the importance of the situation at hand.

Many people feel that making connections with the outside world actually fortifies the concept of humanity in medicine - how could you not agree? This ties in well with the issue of medical integrity equating to basic humanity. Renee Lim was another incredible speaker at the SB Downton conference. She spoke of the different personality types that arise in a social setting. These include collaborator, avoider and competitor. Depending on what type of person you are, you will identify most strongly with one of these.  There is not necessarily a ranking system of these traits, rather, it is important to note which one you naturally are. This might help you in becoming more in tune with another characteristic at times when the social setting requires that attitude. For example, if you are a natural competitor, then maybe you need to be more collaborative at times.

Another interesting topic that was raised  multiple occasions throughout the conference was home and work life balance. The two are as important as each other, and one of the strategies in balancing the two facets was to find someone that you could really trust and build a strong relationship with them. There are two parts to an ideal relationship. The first is the ying-yang part, whereby the two people fit so well together that it is almost like they are meant to be united. The second important part is recognising the opposites in those people, are cherishing them. We do not need our ying-yang to merge into grey. The stark difference in white and black is good. This means that they two are connected, yet still independent.

 On another note, the director of the Australian Cancer Council spoke fervently on the task of achieving bipartisan support from both sides of politics in any medical decision or advancement so that the medical community is making improvements that will reach the whole of society. The truth is, medicine and politics are not oil and water, and it would be equivalent to throwing the toys out of the cot to say that the two issues were. For medicine to actively have a positive impact on the citizens of a country, politics must some how be steered into an amicable direction. The stronger bridges that are build between the two facets of society, the better. This is why we should ideally have a doctor as the health minister. Who better to understand the needs of such a critical portfolio?

An identity that is often forgotten when striving towards achieving positive outcomes in medicine is that of the entrepreneur. The nuts and bolts of being a doctor really come down to  (a) making the best out of a limiting situation , and (b) following your passion. Coincidentally, these are the shared characteristics of an entrepreneur of sorts.

One of the speakers also shared a heartening story of her own. The story circled around an experience she had with a patient and their normal doctor. Although she was providing the same treatment as the other doctor, simply because there was an already blossoming human connection between the patient and the former doctor, the patient said  when the former doctor entered the room, "now that you are here, I feel alright". This experience emulates the notion that healing is not just a physical process, it is actually a culmination of positive mental approaches as well. These include optimism and positive thinking. What works is patient-doctor relationships that are not built on cold facts, but warm smiles.

One of the most important lessons that has come from all these reflections and experiences, is that medicine is all about authenticity. We all have a conscience of some sorts, or we would like to think so. So we need to activate this! We must do what we feel is right. Add our own touches to our work. If we do this, we may be able to inspire a new generation of thought. Just as science is all about providing wrong old hypothesises, life is all about making new discoveries.