Pursuing a career as a physician: A reminder why

Last week, I spent a few hours completing an online module for one of my immunology courses. The purpose of this module was simply to expose students to the format of lecturing and assessments that would take place throughout the length of this course. The portion of the module that I found really exciting was a series of videos depicting scenes at a local clinic where a physician examined a patient with psoriasis. Although learning about the biology behind the condition was intellectually stimulating, the video reminded me once again of my purpose of pursuing a career as a physician: to educate patients while comforting them, treating them, and giving them the courage needed to tackle their condition. Our program is geared towards instructing its students in cellular and molecular immunology. The video taught me about some of the intricacies of psoriasis, which I learned, is an inflammatory condition with both a genetic component and an environmental component. In the video, the physician, a dermatologist, played the role of both a comforter and a teacher. The condition had been a major problem in the patient’s life for about 30 years. While interrogating the patient about changes in her condition, the physician succinctly explained the varying causes of her symptoms. Physicians go through years of rigorous training in science courses; however, it is important to deliver pieces of the medical knowledge in a simpler fashion, one that can be easily comprehended without any u...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Education Dermatology Medical school Primary Care Source Type: blogs