onsdag 6 april 2011

Medical Student Self Help Guide

För mig är självhjälpsböcker ett facinerande fenomen av vår nutid, lika förvånad blir jag var gång jag ser hur de breder ut sig över pocketshop och tänker tyst för mig själv att människor måste vara mycket olyckliga. Kanske raljerar jag lite, tycker mig själv stå ovan dem i någonslags osympatisk självgodhet. Det som stör mig mest med dem är nog att de säljer in en bild av att vi ska kunna lyckas alltid, vi ska kunna manipulera vår egen tanke och liv så att vi alltid är lyckliga. Trots att, endel av livet är att acceptera smärta, sorg och ibland ångest. Uppskatta nyanserna. Därför blir jag oftast arg för att jag tycker att de luras. Förminskar läsaren och säger åt dig vad du ska tänka, känna och hur du ska uppleva ditt liv. Nej, allt som oftast upprör de mer än de facinerar. Dock snubblar jag plötsligt över Patch Adams A4 sida av hjälp dig själv för medicinstuderande. Jag läser till slutet och den lämnar mig glad, som en liten värmande påminnelse. Så jag delar den tacksamt med er. Kanske tycker ni att det är flum, eller aktivism eller rena stålligheterna. Men det gör inget. Detta är ju ingen självhjälpsbok, ni bestämmer själva vad ni tänker och tycker. Faktiskt. :)

Coping With The Demands of Medical Training

Medical education can be a stressful experience. For some, the academics seem gargantuan, for others the costs are stifling. But the most disconcerting feedback is the feedback that is centered around a depression and anxiety over the kind of climate in which health care is practiced in today's society. It is hard to find a joyous service-oriented practice in hospitals. So often it appears that economics and management come before patient care. Competition seems to be more the style than cooperation among health professionals.

This guide is created for the medical student who wishes a thrilling, joyous, heartfelt medical education in exuberant anticipation of a life in service to humankind. Inherent in helping others is an intoxication of self-satisfaction in a garland of intimacy. The keys here are to assert your own motivation and to respect your wisdom... indeed to be bathed in the self-confidence that you can make your life a delightful adventure. We offer a few suggestions here to make your education a highlight of your life. Please share your feedback, suggestions, and dialogue with us and your contemporaries in creating a medical celebration.

Don't wait until you are on the wards to practice and develop your interviewing skills... start now! Interview everyone with as great a depth as you dare. Medicine's fundamental thrill is intimacy. Find that kind of demeanor in yourself that delights others so they tell you their tales Be ecstatic for the gift that people give you in love, trust and intimacy. Find a way to let this journey together stimulate you and fill you with the excitement of a new friend.
As you explore the glorious mechanisms of your body and life, let it electrify you in wonder and curiosity. Never get complacent over the miracle of life. Live in awe. Let this be the focus of your education...not your grades, which tell you nothing about the kind of doctor you will be. (When I was in medical school, I told them never to notify me about my grades unless I failed... which became very freeing.)
Do not let the cost of education paralyze you. It is a privilege that you are so fortunate to be in school. When you finish you will pay your loans back as soon as you can. If you choose service-oriented Medicine, its gift is payback enough until funds come in. Don't let the debt trap you in a repugnant practice. Here creativity and exploration make great playmates. There is no debtor's prison. Community support can be key here.
Cultivate intimacy with the health professionals and professors you respect. Invite yourself to their homes. Establish a thriving dialogue. Ask to come into their practice. Reach out for the same intimacy with aides, orderlies and nurses as you do with doctors and patients. The word here is friendliness, wherever you go in life; it will make your day thrilling.
Please have support groups. Support in study. Support in play. Find like minds and fantasize your medical interests and futures. Practice being very deep and intimate with each other. Hold nothing back.
Please get involved in the politics of Medicine from the very beginning. Belong to the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA), American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Office of Student Representatives (OSR) of the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), etc. Go to the meetings, especially the big ones, and talk with everyone. There is gold everywhere. Many are thinking about the same things you are. Your fantasy Medical practice may sprout in this climate.
Yes, fantasize your most outlandish Medical fantasy. Your degree in Medicine is the freedom to choose exactly how you want to practice. The only limiting factors will be your fears and imagination. Band together and soar.
Focus on Medicine as service. Medicine as a business is hurting everyone. The rewards in Medicine are in helping others and in self-discovery. Giving is an intoxication, intimacy is a by-product. Brace yourself for an avalanche of love.
This is a whopper. Have outside interests! You are not a doctor. You are a person who has studied Medicine. You are all of your other interests just as well. Nurture all of your loves. Experiment with ways of integrating your interests with you Medicine. Weave these interests into the relationships you have with your patients. Be open to learning things from them... you will love the bonds that form.
Finally, do not sacrifice your family for your Medical career. What you learn in keeping your family vibrant will serve you greatly with your patients. Please cherish your significant others, your lovers, your children, your parents, and feel the great health their love fives you. See your friends as a part of your family.
Patch Adams, M.D.
Wellness Resource Guide for Medical Students
published by AMSA.

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