<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Dec 28, 2008
YOUR LETTERS
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>We need more inspiring doctor-mentors
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr Lee Wei Ling's recent articles 'Medicine is not just a career, but a calling' (Dec 7) and 'My patients, my teachers' (Dec 21).
I am a young doctor serving in a public hospital. I decided to study medicine because I wanted to help people in need.
However, after I started work as a doctor, the 'idealism' slowly faded, in part due to the long hours and the emotional drain that is the nature of a doctor's work. Stories about doctors profiteering from patients further discouraged me.
Thankfully, in my short career, I have met a few distinguished doctor-teachers who have had an impact on my life.
Dr T.Umapathi was the head of department when I was doing my neurology rotation. He was outwardly a stern and disciplined man, yet extremely 'soft' towards his patients.
He would frequently call us late at night whenever we were on night duty to enquire about his patients' condition.
He had great enthusiasm for neurology. His usual statement when he saw a challenging case was: 'Neurology is so interesting, I cannot imagine why others would choose to do something else.'
Dr Tay Yong Kwang is my mentor and teacher. He probably did not realise that, besides learning the science of dermatology from him, I have also 'taken notes' on how he cares for his patients. He is always patient and polite, choosing to listen to his patients first rather than to talk.
When I asked him why he continued practising in a public hospital despite the financial lure of the private sector, he said, matter-of-factly, that he wanted to give back to the society that had given him so much.
In these times, when the practice of medicine is challenged by the lure of financial gains, I believe young doctors need more such mentors. Unfortunately, they are becoming very rare. Dr Chia Min Wee
YOUR LETTERS
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>We need more inspiring doctor-mentors
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr Lee Wei Ling's recent articles 'Medicine is not just a career, but a calling' (Dec 7) and 'My patients, my teachers' (Dec 21).
I am a young doctor serving in a public hospital. I decided to study medicine because I wanted to help people in need.
However, after I started work as a doctor, the 'idealism' slowly faded, in part due to the long hours and the emotional drain that is the nature of a doctor's work. Stories about doctors profiteering from patients further discouraged me.
Thankfully, in my short career, I have met a few distinguished doctor-teachers who have had an impact on my life.
Dr T.Umapathi was the head of department when I was doing my neurology rotation. He was outwardly a stern and disciplined man, yet extremely 'soft' towards his patients.
He would frequently call us late at night whenever we were on night duty to enquire about his patients' condition.
He had great enthusiasm for neurology. His usual statement when he saw a challenging case was: 'Neurology is so interesting, I cannot imagine why others would choose to do something else.'
Dr Tay Yong Kwang is my mentor and teacher. He probably did not realise that, besides learning the science of dermatology from him, I have also 'taken notes' on how he cares for his patients. He is always patient and polite, choosing to listen to his patients first rather than to talk.
When I asked him why he continued practising in a public hospital despite the financial lure of the private sector, he said, matter-of-factly, that he wanted to give back to the society that had given him so much.
In these times, when the practice of medicine is challenged by the lure of financial gains, I believe young doctors need more such mentors. Unfortunately, they are becoming very rare. Dr Chia Min Wee
