Reflective Essay on My Journey to Medicine: Appreciation, Breakthroughs, Curing, and Pudding

Introduction

My resolution to studying medicine is a blend of many motivity forces such as appreciation and recognition for medical doctors and their upstanding nature of work. Moreover, other fascinating factors that stimulated me into medicine include the constant breakthrough in treatment, taking care of patients, the ability to cure disease, and the infinite ocean of knowledge. A cup of pudding once taught me a valuable lesson about patient care, and eventually led to my decision to pursue internal medicine. It was early in my Medicine rotation. I was assigned a homeless patient with a history of extensive substances use and heart failure who came to the hospital after being found unconscious on the side of the road. I was informed that the patient was uncooperative.

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Initially, I started with my practiced interview routine, introduced myself and asked if I could ask the patient some questions. He glanced at me, grunted and turned towards the wall. Undaunted, I proceed to explain to him that I was there to help and could only help him if he could talk to me. This was met with no response. Just as I was about to give up, I heard him mumbled: "I want something to eat." "Sorry?" "All you people keep asking me questions but nobody gave me anything to eat!" It then dawned on me that since his initial admission two days ago, he had been in and out of consciousness and had not been eating. Checking with the nurse, it appeared that the patient also missed breakfast because he was sleeping. I asked for some snacks from the nurse and was given a cup of pudding.

Upon seeing the pudding in my hand, the patient perked up and eagerly accepted the snack. After he finished the pudding and relaxed back into his bed, I asked if he was comfortable to answer some questions, to which he happily agreed. From then on, he was completely cooperative with my exams and answered all my interview questions, even chatted with me and told me some jokes. In the end, although the patient remained resistant to the team's advice on his drug use habits, he did become more willing to discuss treatment options for his heart failure. I believed on that day my simple act of kindness allowed me to make a connection with him and have potentially improved his care.

It has impressed on me greatly that something as simple as fulfilling a patient's need for a snack can be the difference between a complete history and physical (H&P), and an empty one. It reminded me of a quote by Dr. William Osler, "Treat the patient, not the disease." This quote has never resonated with me as strongly as at that moment. I realized the importance of seeing patients from a holistic point of view rather than just focusing on medical problems. I also realized the benefit of paying attention to patient needs, be it medical or non-medical. Through which I can establish a physician-patient trust that I would need to provide the best possible health care.

Since that encounter, I began paying close attention to the patient's needs, to establish that "trust" between me and the patient. During my pediatrics rotation, I was able to help obtain cooperation from a child who struggled during physical exams by breaking my daily checkups into smaller, more easily tolerated sessions. Even small gestures often can make a difference. A blanket, a cup of water, or the mere act of sitting down next to a patient has all helped me secure more patient cooperation. Not only do these interactions help me provide better care, but as time goes by, I started finding great enjoyment from just talking to patients. Moreover, I have also come to realize that physician-patient interaction has become an important and most valuable part of medical practice.

As I explored multiple specialties during my third year of medical school, I consciously evaluated what kind of a doctor I would want to be. Therefore, I began looking for the area of specialization that would best fit my personalities and desired style of practice. I have found internal medicine to be the best area of specialization that best concretizes the qualities I value and besides, it also provides the style of practice I am most comfortable with. Internal medicine not only provides varied, board-level of challenges, but it also encourages better care through patient interaction (Ruchala, 2016).

Conclusion

As I settle into my last year of medical school, with significant research, academic and clinical experiences at my disposal, I am confident about my ability to not only taking care of patients medically but also to provide comprehensive, patient-oriented care. I look forward to the challenges and new learning opportunities internal medicine residency would bring, to continue better myself both as a person and as a physician. Learning opportunities that come along with internal medicine will also enable me to strive to provide the most comprehensive quality care that is worthy of patients' trust. A lesson I learned from a homeless man and a cup of pudding regarding the dignity of care. Furthermore, the knowledge gained will also enable me to upskill individuals interested in the field of internal medicine.

Reference

Ruchala, M. (2016). On the lesser importance of internal medicine: is it right to forget about it? Polish Archives Of Internal Medicine, 126(12), 1079-1084. doi: 10.20452/pamw.3751