“Are house officers to be blamed for not performing up to standards, or are the doctors not putting enough attention on their role as mentors?”
MMI Insight 2020 #12
“We need to start the change now, no matter how minute our efforts may seem.”
I am sure everyone had a day when we dreaded going to our clinical attachments. Was it the fact that you felt useless in the wards, or were the doctors not treating you well? There are plenty of reasons. All medical students are eager to learn, but these factors very often diminish our motivations. Are house officers to be blamed for not performing up to standards, or are the doctors not putting enough attention on their role as mentors?
When you graduate to become a doctor, remember the times you felt you were learning nothing in the hospital. When you see a medical student, remember how you felt lost in your clinical attachments. Inevitably, doctors have to teach despite their busy schedules, as students will become colleagues in the future. Learning has its own sets of challenges, and doctors have to bear that in mind. Instead of blaming students for being lazy, we need to start creating a supportive environment to encourage learning to cultivate amazing doctors.
University life is when we mature and start taking on bigger responsibilities. We will be in the position to be better advocates for the welfare of our patients, our colleagues and for the betterment of Malaysia's healthcare system. We want you, Malaysian medical students, to come to the realization that we all have the potential to shape the outcome of this decade. This year’s summit aims to expose everyone to current issues that plague our healthcare system and influence our job security. We need to start the change now, no matter how minute our efforts may seem. We must be the positive change that our system needs.
Low Wen Yan is entering into his fifth year of medical studies at University College Cork, Ireland. He currently serves as the Co-Convenor on the Malaysian Medical Summit 2020 Committee and is also the Executive Co-Chair of the MMI Executive Council.
3 more days to MMS 2020!
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Attendees of each segment of MMS 2020 will stand a chance to win a suture kit!