I reached college today and ran straight into a discussion between my batch-mates about, well, ‘The system’. Since we’ve reached a yet another milestone in our professional lives, it is indeed the hot topic of discussion nowadays. It is the next thing we’ll be stepping into after all, and staying in it perhaps for the rest of our lives.
So people were saying that there are things that are bad and we’ll have to adapt to them. People said that things are bad but not everyone has to go with ‘The system’, although its damn difficult. People said that there are ways in between too.
The options are plenty I think. Even at this stage, I am strictly referring to my profession; people can turn into money-making machines if they want to. There is certainly no need to cry and regret and waste your precious emotions on the choice of your profession at this stage. It is a very crucial turning point indeed but we need to know where we want to spend the rest of our lives. May be there won’t be much turning back, or sideways after this. So we need to know.
Incidentally, it was this morning itself when I stumbled upon an interesting thought. Decision is not making a choice but knowing your choice! May remind you of Matrix, but I won’t give the details of my thought’s origin. It will bore you more.
The thing is, there is no real reason to do what you think is wrong or rather, what you don’t want to do. Just remember that there are consequences.
Talking more relevantly, about the present India and its immediate future, our country is changing. The pace has dramatically increased in the past one decade or so due to several factors but in my opinion largely due to the information revolution. India is indeed shining more than ever since its independence. And it will continue to do so at a rapid pace in near future.
Secondly, its difficult to utilize you full potential as a doctor if you don’t have a vision. Medical profession is not about securing your basic necessities (a very relative term) or doing what you know to do when someone comes to you with illness. We learned in PSM about the significance of health. And its not just theory. Morbidity, productivity and growth of various sectors of a population are closely related. It makes no sense giving analgesics/ anti-inflammatory to patients of Chikungunya fever and not check the mosquito population.
I am not saying that you have to be a revolutionist. It doesn’t take a revolution to change the world. One way or the other India will change and as I said, it is. Its your choice to be a part of this change or not. It sounds a little poetic but it is as solid as a fact. For example, someone started a trend of piercing the stilette after IV cannulation in the mattress. (Seriously, who is that great soul???) Now its your choice to join this trend or not. Similarly, whether to use proper sterile technique for urethral catheterization or get away with an alternative quicker method is entirely up to you. But you are contributing to a fashion by your way of working.
So its up to you to be a part of the change that your country will undergo in the coming years. The picture does appear rosy to me. I consider myself really lucky to be a part of this generation. I believe that more than anything else, education will be a big factor in our development as a nation. So its up to you to be a part of it by educating a child or staying out of it. Its going to happen anyways. Its your choice to educate a village about condoms and STI’s or not. Its your choice to tell people the flaws in our health system and make suggestions to the government and follow it up to its implementation. Is it too difficult? Or too boring? Or you really don’t care? Whatever, its your choice. There is nothing to cry about.
And if you claim that ‘the system’ can’t be changed then I thoroughly disagree. I have seen Juhu beach in its dirtiest days and look at it now. There are no more uncovered drains in my area. Slum rehab is being taken more seriously every day. People are at least considering introducing sex-education formally! The most remote areas in our country are now connected to the world although they have no electricity or telephone cables, thanks to the satellites. I am certain, that polio will be eradicated.
There is no doubt that still a lot remains to be done and we still are a third world country. But this is the primary reason that I want to remain in India. I want to be a part of the transformation of my country. It is my choice. So just make yours.