Submitted 2022-11-01
Physicians are an extremely important pillar in society, their main objective is to meet the needs of the population in health issues, they are responsible for diagnosing, treating and even preventing diseases.
At first, humans considered common ills such as colds, flu, etc., to be part of existence and their treatment was given by herbal remedies. Likewise, it was said that the discomforts that seemed to be of supernatural origin were on the part of some evil being, a sorcerer, etc., and what was done at that time to treat it was through spells, potions, among others. It is for this reason that it is claimed that the first doctors or, at that time, healers, were witches or sorcerers.
In this way, medicine and its tools such as drugs, studies and analysis evolved, all together hand in hand with science and technology.
That is why being a doctor has been the best decision I have ever made; Humanity has been evolving in such a way that each daily aspect sets the tone for its development in society, health being one of the most important and therefore the one that has to be taken care of the most. Since I was little, personal situations gave rise to my interest in the area of health, because if I had known, what would I have done in those cases?
My dad had a very serious accident in my house, although I did what I could to help him, I feel like I could have done more, if only I had known the basics. It was a very big motivation not only professionally but also personally.
Since I entered the Faculty of Medicine, I knew that my life would change since from that moment I would have to dedicate most of the time to study, read a lot, review, but, above all, I knew that it involved a lot of responsibility and demand.
In my Premedical courses I learned about basic first aid techniques such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, of which I learned the posture I need to have at the time of doing it to be successful. In addition, I understood that its importance is mainly based on helping people who are in situations of drowning or cardiovascular arrest.
They even put us in several accident scenarios where people were injured, screaming desperately and calling for help. What would you do at that time? Which wounded man should I turn to first? How would it help him? Without a doubt, being my first time intervening in emergency situations, I decided to turn to the person who was “in bad shape” compared to the others.
In the emergency room, it is not controlled who arrives or the condition in which they will be. Attending to the people in this room implies the importance of prioritization and organization. Yes, they are all in poor condition, but you always have to learn to take care of those who are in critical condition.
One day during my Public Health class, the professor told us that it doesn’t matter who gets medical care first (in terms of time), you always have to prioritize as already said, people who are in critical condition.
Many times, people are annoyed by the decisions doctors make when attending to other people first and decide to leave, this is an example that everything is part of raising awareness in people, imparting generosity and empathy, we all have the same importance and it is human to accept that many times others need more help/attention than we do.
One such situation is when there are 2 people in the emergency room, one arrives with a cold and the other with respiratory failure. And here comes the prioritization, the two issues are important but respiratory failure is a more serious degree.
As the main theme in this speech, it is extremely important to know how to be prepared for emergency situations, not only when we receive a patient in the emergency room; in a doctor, behavior is also important, as a medical student I am aware that one must arrive with the mentality that, just as it can be a calm day, there can be ups and downs, from a common cold to receiving an injured person in serious condition.
In addition, you must have time availability 24/7, have a balanced physical and mental health and, above all, have a lot of patience both patients and their families who are often difficult to treat.
On many occasions, the doctor gets so involved in the purpose of his profession that he forgets his own well-being. And this affects in a way that prevents a quality consultation from being given, because it is true, a doctor cannot give a good diagnosis or treatment if your health is not in the best conditions.
Doctors go through a lot of stress, desperation, anguish, among other factors, which can harm their health in the short or long term. This is why it is scientifically recommended to exercise as it helps reduce stress and promotes physical health.
Also, when a doctor has to perform a surgery that lasts several hours, it is important that he or she is in good condition to perform well and have a successful outcome.
But not everything is bad, saving the lives of others makes you a hero. That is why I always tell myself “No matter what problem you face, the goal of your profession is to help the health of others, there will be things that you cannot control, but only you have the power to make that big difference and change the lives of others.