Medicine For Me – The Art Of Being A Compassionate Caregiver
Compassion, commitment and collaboration are important competencies that I believe I intrinsically possess, which makes me a strong candidate to read Medicine. My nature of being a caring and principled inquirer, alongside my interest in Human Biology is what initially steered me in this direction. Hospital work experiences granted me valuable chances to shadow doctors in A&E and Cardiology. Being an attentive spectator who observed sophisticated procedures in the Catheter Lab, wards and clinics, I was awestruck by the resilience of the tired yet passionate doctors and their competence in terms of skill and knowledge, especially manifested in their intense focus while dealing with complex procedures like TAVI and LAAO. In the Resuscitation Room, the doctors’ concern was palpable during several moments of an intense CPR performed on an unresponsive patient. Doctors shared with me the satisfaction of witnessing patients getting better — from being in critical condition to a promising recovery. At times, some may succumb inevitably, but now I also understand the importance of emotional intelligence when I witnessed first-hand a doctor assisting family members in overcoming grief. As a volunteer at a community home, I observed the strenuous duties of allied health professionals. I assisted with the feeding of an old lady with Huntington’s Disease and other routine activities with the residents who suffer from severe autism or intellectual disabilities. I would witness violence as an outlet of frustration, but I would never be able to fathom the difficulties they face. However, the best I could do was to bring smiles to their faces by playing ball games with them. This has kindled the realization that the fascination of Medicine is not only about the intricacies behind this difficult science subject, but also about the art of being a compassionate caregiver.
As of October 2016, I have been a qualified First-Aider and become a part of my school’s First Aid Team, servicing major school events and sports teams. Consequently, my collaborative and communicative skills have improved through working with different partners. I was also nominated to become a Hong Kong Rugby Union medic and secured a spot in the training programme, which soon became a commitment and my hobby. I was required to standby from 9 to 6 during weekends for national team tournaments and experience the stress of handling potential spinal injuries and concussions, but this gave me a taste of the stark realities of Medicine. Being an active member of the First Aid team has fed my interest in Medicine, and it was fulfilling to reassure and bring relief to the people that I served, which I recognize as integral to good healthcare.
Beyond the textbooks, taking the initiative to commit to school events built my strong passion in integrating my collaborative skills to contribute to my community. I earned a place as one of the organizing committee heads of the school fair which exposed me to the value of teamwork and effective communication. Having led an entire committee of over 15 people, I learned that every member is equally vital and the outcome of a project depends on the team dynamics and cohesion. To maintain a work-life balance, I play the piano in a band as a way to de-stress. This also gave me opportunities to strengthen interpersonal skills in multiple fundraising performances. I have also decided to stretch my limits with an exhilarating attempt to summit Mt. Kinabalu (4095m). Though I suffered from a sprained ankle and altitude sickness, the beautiful sunrise at the top was the fruit of my perseverance – the prerequisite to become a doctor.
My range of experiences have only served to compound my interest in Medicine. The core of this decision lies in my willingness to serve but through my participation, I can only reaffirm that I possess the attributes that are well-suited for the dynamic, person-centric and challenging aspects of being a doctor.
