Tips no.8 : Make friend with the nurses. Never ever be their enemy. Life would be much easier if you know how to win their hearts. Dr Meena (Paeds MO) gave me this very precious advice : Harlina, be nice to these people (nurses). They will decide whether you will have your meals or not during your calls. Yesss, I later realized how true that advice was!
Tips no.9 : Forgive those who raised their voices at you. They might be angry patients, stressed-up MOs, overwhelmed colleagues, frustrated consultants, irritated nurses etc. Nobody had ever shouted at you before,eh? Being a HO, anticipate your first experience here. Forgive them, forget them and live on. After all, we're all just humans living in the same pressure cooker!
Tips no.10 - Thank God for the honour of being His instrument/tool of Mercy to mankind. A great opportunity is at your doorstep to catapult your good self to be bigger than life. Grab that opportunity and seize the golden moments. Nothing compares with the feeling of satisfaction whenever your patients & relatives say : Thank you, Doc
Tips no. 11 - Handle yourself well when dealing with difficult people. Feeling victimized, bullied and discriminated? After reflecting on yourself, I suggest you pluck some courage to meet face-to-face. Clarify, admit your mistakes and make peace. InsyaAllah, things will be fine.
Tips no. 12 - Treat your patients as if they are your own parents/relatives. Just as how you would like any doctor to treat your parents, that's exactly how you should treat your patients now. Remember, what comes around, goes around! Motivate your patients always, you'll feel the positive energy seeping into you too.
Tips no. 13 - Express your love to your spouse everyday, using his/her love language. Let him/her know how much his/her support & understanding means to you. Share your ups and downs, laughter & tears. Thank Allah everyday for sending you this special person. Those who are still unmarried, what's keeping you, guys?
Tips no. 14 - Be sincere in treating your patients, be gentle and caring. Control your anger and frustration, avoid explosive emotional outburst in front of your patients. If you really need to release the steam, do it in the washroom with the tap running (peace, Mother Earth)- I consider that as an effective form of anger management!
Tips no. 15 - Keep abreast with what's happening around you - medical & non-medical, locally and globally. Read the papers, journals & magazines, listen to the news bulletin, engage in general discussions. Have your own opinions. You're a doctor now! People wanna know what's going on in your brain.
Tips no. 16 - Always extend a helping hand to your peers/colleague HOs.That's the only way to ensure help comes your way the next time you desperately need one. Less of `Me, Myself & I', please! More of `We & Us' now. Be a sporting team member, will ya!
Tips no. 17 - Make effort to remember names esp. your patients'. Address them appropriately. If you're greeting them for the first time, use `Encik, Cik & Puan' instead of `PakCik, Makcik, Pak Aji, Apek, Aci, Akak, Abang, Adik'. Make quick glances at the patient's file and pronounce his/her full name clearly. Just see how impressed they will be!
Tip no. 18 - Endure the disappointment when you discover the realities of the system. Witnessing unprofessional, unethical conducts - far from what you learnt in med schools? Feeling upset, angry, demoralized? Good, at least I can count on you to be a future committed agent of change!
Tip no. 19 - Learn to read your consultants'/specialists' minds. What do they want from a HO? Dedication, commitment, eagerness to learn, willingness to be corrected & guided. Give them those, and they won't make your life miserable.
Tip no. 20 - Keep your room in the HO quarter clean, tidy & cheerful! Hire a keeper if you could afford one.Throw away all the rotten left-overs. Buy an air-freshener & some flowers. Pull up the curtains, let the sunlight in. It's supposed to be a bedroom, not a cave!
Tip no. 21 - Spend your salary wisely. Share your first paycheck with your loved ones. Pay up your debts / credit card bills. Recall your financial planning lessons. Avoid weekly shopping mall rounds. Window shop with your stomach full, you'll be able to control the cravings.
Tip no. 22 - Push the `pause' button, get out for some fresh air, watch the sunrise/sunset. Reflect & contemplate. Remember, you just a small part of a very complex design. Put your perspectives back on track. Inhale & exhale - be grateful to Allah for everything you have.
Tip no. 23 - Volunteer to help arranging the call roster.Experience the pain in accomodating all requests and dealing with unhappy colleagues who could not get their wishes.Best time to learn how to give & take here!
Tip no. 24 - Be friendly & mix around with everyone. Do not reserve your greetings only for the bosses & VIPs. Greet the staff nurses, PKs, cleaners, security guards, gardeners etc. Drink your coffee at the pantry.
Tip no. 25 - Pray for your patients' well-being. Support their emotional & spiritual needs. Listen to their stories. Don't be afraid to be close to your patients. You will learn how to detach your emotions & rational thinking while looking after patients - so you'll remain objective and professional.Learn the balance to keep the ideal distance between you and the patients.
Tip no. 26 - Surprise those who look down upon you by exceeding their expectations. Impress those who think highly of you by exceeding their expectation too. Whatever it is, do your level best. Be brave to take up challenges, be humble enough to ask for assistance and be ready to receive feedback - Recipe for a satisfying career!
Tip no. 27 - Do not allow self pity to consume you now. Never curse yourself. Regretting your life choice of becoming a medical doctor, feeling envious with those friends who are enjoying life, free to do whatever they like? Well, I bet they're envious of YOU too! Just hang on there, persevere & be strong.
Tip no. 28 - Admit your mistakes and try to redeem yourself. It takes a lot of courage, self-esteem and confidence to own up for your shortcomings. At the same time, do not boast around and inflate yourself. If you've really done good, let others acknowledge. You do not have to keep reminding others.
Tip no. 29 - Enhance your medical knowledge thru' revising textbooks/notes ( I hope you haven't sold all textbooks to the juniors in med school!). Get answers to questions ASAP. Experience medicine with accurate knowledge/information, not simply following orders like zombies -without critical thinking.
Tip no. 30 - Let the deaths of your patients serve as gentle reminders/ tazkeerah - that you will also face yours, sooner or later. Treat the dead with respect, whoever they were. Look at those cold, still bodies - now separated from their souls. Pray for them. Convey your condolences to the mourning relatives... they'll appreciate that.
Tip no. 31 - Keep in touch with your emotions, but avoid being overwhelmed. Acknowledge the anger, sadness, frustration, confusion etc. Don't simply brush them off, what more trying to stiffle them! Manage those emotions - you're a human being, not a robot! Ventilate, it helps clearing your lungs & mind.
Tip no. 32 - Promise yourself that you're gonna make one person smile today! He/she might be your patient, colleague, MO, consultant, staff or spouse & parents at home. Simple rule of life - if you wanna smile, make another person smile, if you wanna be happy, make another person happy, if you want people to appreciate you, appreciate others first!
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment