The human body is
beautifully designed; each part seemingly has a purpose and every part comes
together to create an all-encompassing machine which needs nutrients, rest,
exercise and interaction. In an ideal world, this is all the body needs to
survive, but unfortunately, as we find ourselves having to replace batteries on
the remote control or a pesky bearing in our cars, humans also need tune-ups
and sometimes replacement of parts. It is when our bodies work against us and
our parts have lost their harmonious interaction, then we get a frightening
wakeup call acknowledging our own mortality.
I've always
considered that there was only one rule to medicine; For every anatomy, there is a corresponding pathology.
It's quite frightening to think of things in this picture and even more
frightening when you realise that the diseases you learnt in school may one day
affect you or a loved one (if it hasn't already). There is a common phenomenon
in medical school called "Med Student Syndrome" in which we develop
(or perceive to develop) striking similarities to the disease that we are
studying, for example, I could have sworn that I had a brain tumour when I had
a throbbing headache. Perhaps our bouts of hypochondriasis are just
subconscious mechanisms we employ to commit these diseases to memory through
(supposed) experiences of our own.
Regardless, we are
all human and we will all eventually have to experience disease. It is
important that we do not forget this and it is even more important for us to
realize that there is a certain degree of compassion and patience that the ill deserves. At the moment, I am in my third clinical rotation (Psychiatry) and I have seen a bit of disease in both adults and children as well as physical and mental diseases. These rotations have cemented the importance of being a good doctor; one that can not only identify and treat a great variety of diseases but to actually build a rapport with one's patient thereby creating a meaningful relationship.
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