Prognosis for Ortho.

on account i have to use good and proper english, and select precise, concise and accurate language with professional terminology from this time forth, i know i will lose half of you in the flood of medical jargon (jargon to most, music to nerds…).

our beloved prof, although with qualifications of about half the letters of the alphabet, did not graduate with a degree of Literature of English. However, having the passion and seeing the dire need in us medical students, he has volunteered to enlighten us in the path of grammatically and professionally sound communication.

and having taken us for a few ward teaching sessions, he was grossly appalled, (and slightly amused) by our lack of good command of the language. in his valiant efforts to preserve the sanctity of the language, he claimed to have multiple attacks of myocardial infarction, and threathened to self-administer sublingual GTN before we proceed with our case presentation.

a few examples were mentioned in a colleague’s blog entry (http://happening-seremban.blogspot.com), hence it would be redundant to describe them here. however, he did mention that in just one group’s case presentations, he had collectively gathered enough phrases to write a fairy tale. "long, long time ago… there was a castle… and there was a woodcutter…"

also he refused to allow sentences with commas, to be recited in haste as the sentences would confer different meanings. "… is a chinese female teacher…" could mean she taught only chinese females, instead of its original intention of describing her ethnicity, gender and occupation.

ah, the many wonders of this professor of english, though a graduate of medicine! although he had generally not much comments for the group i was in, he was thoroughly disappointed with the fact that we were able to avoid the pitfalls laid out for us. finally, in his closing statement, he insisted we were still a sorry lot, for the incompetence of using as little words of the dictionary as possible, without losing significant meaning in the presentation.

However, there is one i must mention, for he is of relevance exclusively in my experience in this posting. he is a surgeon of the hospital, who has reached such a status in his career it may be said, career-wise, he has obtained nirvana. however, in social and communication skills, i find him sorely lacking. granted, i’m in no position to judge, however, in this race, i feel i’ve the upper thumb.

had i minded my own business, had i chosen to wake up late and be lazy, had i not felt subject to learn from watching professionals at their daily rounds in the ward, this encounter might never be. but i genuinely feel, it had to come, so i would know. so i would be stronger, and will not succumb to defeat. defeat to a blow in my ego, and a bruise to my reputation.

i have my fair shares of blunders and well deserving humiliation. i’ve many shuddering moments, yet i know, remorse is not my nature. my strength however, is the ability to pick up and move on. this time, my strength was subject to testing.

as a passive learner in the ward rounds, i sought to observe and jot that which i was unsure, and read in my own time; a method i had devised and deemed most suitable for clinical life peculiar to me. methods, anatomy long forgotten, management, complications, all could be easily digested when i observe, then study. however, this time around, i was shooed away. the surgeon, rendered me daft, and useless and even helpless, and thought me foolish to follow rounds when no one would actively teach me. you see, to him, rounds were business rounds and medical sutdents have no role in particpation, passive or not.

so after direct verbal assault with a battery of absurdly demanding questions, and a lot of criticism ( i assure you it was nowhere near constructive), i was left with a big blow to my ego, and even bigger hole in my heart. for when i see someone of establishment, my heart yearns for accomplishment such as he. but now, given all the blessings heaven can shower, i would never stoop as low as he.

if you know him, God rest your soul. if not, you did not miss much. nonetheless, life goes on. has all these changed my views on ortho, especially as a career choice? yes. and no. yes, because of the morbid fear soon i shall be that which i hate in him; and no, for the very sight of orthopedic surgical tools has left me quite limp, the first moment i laid eyes on them, till this hour.

so prognosis remains, i hate ortho! help me please!!!!!!!!

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