Happy Birthday Beloved Sister

To my beloved sister

Kyra Shereen Bt Seruji

Happy Birthday

I love you so much

It was just like yesterday you are still a small baby 

Everyone was eagerly waiting for you

Wish you all the best 

Do your best in everything

Bright or Dark? It’s your choice…

There’s a Malay saying, which stated that “ The young generation today is the leader in the future”.  It is wise to see this matter in larger context of the word leader. We should not narrow down the meaning of leader to only national or country leader. We are all leaders of the future. It’s how you plan and work for it. Do you want it bright or do you want it dark? It’s your own choice.

In the world of medical practice, who are the futures? Yes, you got the answer right it is the future doctors in the making now. Medical students? Yes it’s you, you and you. Wherever you are, whoever you are and whichever college you are in now, don’t forget you are the future of the world of medical practice and future of healthcare community. You are not there for no reason and for no expected outcomes. 

Plenty of question often comes to our mind as medical student as in : “ Am I competent enough when I graduated?”, “Is my medical school where I am studying now is in the same level of the other medical school?” , “There are lots of complained about the products of my medical school and what should I do now?” , “ DO I REALLY DESERVE TO BE A DOCTOR?”. These are some of the questions and dilemma in the hearts and mind of medical students. Gone are the days where you are in great joy to receive the offer letter from your medical school.  Where you are at least proud of yourself for a moment to be the crème de la crème to be accepted to medical school.

Special? Yes you are special to be in medical school but don’t forget the others in the other faculties deserve respects because they are special in their own way too as you are. Stepping your foot in the faculty doesn’t guarantee you anything without any effort done. People do fail exams, people do drop out from faculty and people do get extended for a year or more in the faculty. To be fair, in all faculties. The biggest mistake done is to consider yourself levels higher than the others to be in medical school.

Different from other medical school?  It is an undeniable fact that nowadays people tend to label according to medical school. Some are labeled as “now everybody can fly (pass)” , “useless graduate from ………..” ,  “ they let you pass the exam because you are the source of income of their school” and so on. It is heartbreaking to hear that from those who are from higher level in the practices. Don’t worry much, when there’s will , there’s always a ways out. If you think you are lacking behind in some part, make an effort to patch them out. Remember nothing is perfect in this world. There’s always pros and cons in each and everything. Some may look down on you because of your so called “incompetency” in clinical exposure. They may not realise your pre-clinical years were tough learning every basic sciences subject in and out like the post-graduates level.  Learning the tiniest muscle , vessels and nerves that may look unimportant. Still remember you asking yourself why should you learn some theoretical part which  seems have no role clinically? Sooner or later you will find out it will help you to understand things better and not to memorize  the clinical part. Some of us are really keen in knowing the clinical part but without knowing the reason of each and everything that happen. I still remember once my professor insisted me to present a case which I have just clerk without looking at what I have written down in the case note. Some medical school where people think that it is unsystematic just because they don’t really do piles of documentation. Too bad that’s a fact in some third world country. However in the other side , how many of us know the fact that due to lack of documentation, they, including the students were trained to know everything about the patients, not one but twenty or more by heart ? There is always a bright side of everything. It depends on how you are going to face it.

Your future is in your hand. It’s your choice to let it gloom or the other way round. One professor have told me before, treating a patient is not like answering a short question in an exam, you are treating the greatest creation of God. Now it’s up to you dear comrades, learning is not only in the classroom or during the obligatory ward rounds. Medical Science, which studies the greatest creation of God, is too broad and seems limitless. Get out of the box, gain more experiences even during medical school. It’s always never wrong to know more.  Bright or Dark? It’s your choice.

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves”

Al-Quran 13:11