When I was at Thomson Fertility Clinic yesterday, the surgeon brought in a young lady with aspirations of becoming a doctor one day. She'd sacrificed her entire holiday to observe at one clinic after another. And from this experience, she's more determined than ever to become a doctor.
I remember those days too. From the very young age of 3, I'd set my sights on medicine, and nothing was going to stand in my way. I was warned about the many years of study, the numerous exams. But nothing actually prepared me for medicine.
Fast forward to 2010 and ask if I'd change my mind knowing what I know now!
The first few years as a junior doctor are terrible. No one prepares you for the long hours, lack of sleep, seniors that expect you to be pychic, nurses that want you there now, all 10 at the same time. Plus studying for exams with a massively high failure rate. And for some of us, young children too.
And this phase lasts 10 years for Specialists, assuming no hiccups on the way.
I have no regrets with my career choice, but I am glad that I have had the courage to expand my possibilities. Anaesthesia on its own would have bored me to tears. Especially in Singapore where the Specialty is not respected.
So what do you say to a young innocent who wants to go into medicine without knowing what it's like to be sleep deprived and yet have to think clearly at all times? Will they laugh when I tell them I've worked for 6 weeks without a single weekend off?
My seniors were laughing when I complained about nervous exhaustion. They just recalled their own stories of how they almost crashed their cars driving home after a night on call, how one of their friends fell asleep and didn't even know he was being burgled because he left his front door unlocked...
So I'm loving Aesthetics. It's rewarding, fun, happy medicine. Some call it frivolous, but I don't really care. I take far too much pleasure in taking care of my clients and helping them look their best to worry about those who daren't go off the beaten path.
