Reflection

Most people look at me with incredulity when I say that the medical programme that bears the most resemblance to real life is Scrubs. I'm not talking about the bits where they day-dream themselves into fantasies that range from floating talking heads to hints of BDSM, but more about the struggles that they go through and the challenges that they face, both from a medical point of view as well as 'softer' aspects of having to deal with colleagues etc.

Things do not occur as dramatically as they do in ER, nobody is able to do everything and nothing as they do in House, and there isn't quite the same level of personal disintegration that occurs in Grey's Anatomy. But I suppose another reason why I enjoy it is that I can see myself in similar situations, and great television tends to occur when you feel that the show is speaking to you.

This is not as silly as it sounds; my medical career started around the same time as the show, so the challenges that the characters faced when they were house officers and then interns were quite familiar to me when I was a house officer and now that I'm a reg. I suppose it's similar in a way to how some people say they 'grew up' with Friends. Funny isn't it, how you can sometimes relate to characters that are the product of another's imagination?

The episode I watched yesterday involved Turk and Elliot wondering if they'll be doctors for the rest of their lives, something that I'm sure most doctors have thought about. Coincidentally, a couple of close friends mentioned sometime last week that they can't see me being anything but a doctor, even if I win the lottery.

There have definitely been times when I've wondered if I was in the right profession, and I still don't know if I want to be a clinical practitioner for the rest of my life or to get involved in aspects of administration. But I'm quite fortunate that I'm specialising in a field that I actually want to do and derive a certain amount of satisfaction from that. It helps that Sweetie thrives at her job, and that ppl like WK, RT & my best mate are equally enthusiastic about their specialities - Yes, I do geek out about certain things, but there's a certain intellectual thrill of knowing that you've done a good job and you've sorted out problems.

These past few months have been great, and I'm actually starting to feel like a proper doctor (and this is in spite of everyone warning me that my current workplace is one of the most horrible places to work at). In fact, looking back, it's been quite an eventful year with plenty of obstacles strewn across the way, but I'm in a good place now and there's plenty to look forward to. I suppose this is what Maslow meant when he was talking about his hierarchy of needs.

All I gotta do is enjoy this period, before an inevitable tragedy occurs. Part of the cycle, eh?