1. Journey to a Professional Career in Medicine:How to Prepare Yourself for the Medical World “There is no career nobler than that of the physician. The progress and welfare of society is more intimately bound with the prevailing tone and influence of the medical profession that with the status of any other class...” - Elizabeth Blackwell, MD, 1821-1910 Dear Medical Student, and Doctor-in-training, Congratulations on your journey to become a successful medical professional! Medicine is the noblest profession in the world and you are about to embark upon an exciting life-altering journey. You are about to join an elite group of people who will now be your peers going forward. To become a successful doctor, a medical student or a doctor-in-training like yourself has to go through many difficulties and challenges. You have to study day and night to achieve your daily targets and assignments. Be it the first year MBBS at the medical college, deciding your specialty, or choosing a non-clinical medical practice, you are bound to stagger at some stage. This is all but part of the professional medical career that you have chosen for yourself. Besides the personal choices you make, as a clinician, you are responsible for those patients who come to you with medical needs and trust you to improve their life quality. This certainly puts tremendous pressure on you to meet the expectations of your patients and the organization you are associated with. Being a doctor is a huge responsibility, and unfortunately, shouldering that responsibility will sometimes take a personal toll on you. But it is worth it all, because you have the chance every day to make a positive difference in the lives of your patients and their families. You can develop healthy doctor-patient relationships and provide compassionate care to your patients. Try not to let the tough times burn you out or turn you off. As I hope you already know, not everyone has had the advantages in life that you have. Some people just have plain bad luck. Considering the nature of your profession, there are several stress points that can impact you negatively. You must learn to take these stressors positively, and that can boost your performance professionally and improve the quality of your own life. Becoming a doctor and part of the medical profession has never been perceived as easy. It is complicated, intimidating, and exhausting. You have to learn to manage it effectively, if you hope to excel. In the present era, medicine has become high-tech, but it all really harkens back to a basic principle: Do no harm to your patients. Do not conduct any tests or procedures if they aren’t needed. Do not experiment on your patients. Do not be callous or rude to your patients, because this can harm their spirit. When medical technology fails to give us the tools needed to provide the cure that patients are seeking, what you have left to give is your time. The most important thing you can do is pledge to accompany your patients on their journeys, wherever it may lead them, even if it is to their grave. Do not be afraid. You can handle it. It takes time and practice, but you will grow into it. You are a professional, and your major assets are your medical knowledge and skills. You need to keep building on these if you want to stay successful. The Japanese call this kaizen, which means constant improvement. Whether you choose to pursue private medical practice or get associated with a government hospital or work with the trust hospital or corporate medical organization, you have to hold on to the elements of professionalism, ethics, and code of practice. How you interact with patients and maintain professional relationships within the hospital space determines your zeal to maintain a professional stance. As a medical professional, your priority should always be the patient, but you must overlook your personal and family life in the process. It is important that you maintain a good work-life balance and address your health, and personal and social needs effectually. This is mandatory for your optimum performance. Remember that you have to heal yourself before you can heal others. Considering the contemporary setting of the healthcare industry, you are destined to encounter several challenges on the go. From new research results achieved on daily basis to advanced medical technologies, and frequently changing medical laws and the transforming attitude of patients toward health and healthcare professionals, it requires a certain amount of resilience and determination to sail through the challenges. As doctors, if the challenges have made us learn anything it is to stick through with determination and perseverance. Nothing can make you falter but yourself. No challenge is big enough if you choose to face it with all your abilities. To keep up with the contemporary challenges, it is crucial that you modify yourself with the growing needs and changes. Make yourself adaptable to the change. Upgrade yourself with time and stay abreast with the progression. This is all you need to make your mark. You should aim to become a good, happy and successful. The following is the ABC of a good doctor as beautifully elaborated by Malvinder S. Parmar and published alongside the research of Rizo, Jadad and Enkin in BMJ 2002 A: attentive (to patient’s needs), analytical (of self), authoritative, accommodating, adviser, approachable, assuring B: balanced, believer, bold (yet soft), brave C: caring, concerned, competent, compassionate, confident, creative, communicative, calm, comforter, conscientious, compliant, cooperative, cultivated D: detective (a good doctor is like a good detective), a good discussion partner, decisive, delicate (don’t play “God”) E: ethical, empathy, effective, efficient, enduring, energetic, enthusiastic F: friendly, faithful to patients, flexible G: a “good person,” gracious H: a “human being,” honest, humorous, humanistic, humble, hopeful I: intellectual, investigative, impartial, informative J: wise in judgment, jovial, just K: knowledgeable, kind L: learner, good listener, loyal M: mature, modest N: noble, nurturing O: open-minded, open-hearted, optimistic, objective, observant P: professional, passionate, patient, positive, persuasive, philosopher Q: qualified, questions self (thoughts, beliefs, decisions, and actions) R: realistic, respectful (of autonomy), responsible, reliever (of pain and anxiety), reassuring S: sensitive, selfless, scholarly, skilful, speaker, sympathetic T: trustworthy, a great thinker (especially lateral thinking), teacher, thorough, thoughtful U: understanding, unequivocal, up to date (with literature) V: vigilant, veracious W: warm, wise, watchful, willingness to listen, learn, and experiment Y: yearning, yielding Z: zestful. Wishing you the very best, with much admiration for your courage in choosing medical career and to become a happy and successful doctor. Dr. Suresh K. Pandey