Inspiration

Yesterday, we had Medical School Day. As was the case last year, the speakers were amaaaazing.

What I've learnt is,
1) let no one stop you from doing what you want to do. 
2) Do your basic job well. 

One of the speakers is the former President of the Royal College of Physicians. Such a person with a calibre, she is. And gosh, she's so humble. and yes, it's a she.

Professor Dame Carol Black (DBE, FRCP, FMedSci) told us how she was fat, can't do this and that when she was at school, had low confidence. But she said surprisingly she was selected as the Head Girl. Every time she told us about her election onto any post, she would humbly said I was given the opportunity to learn about yadayada. 

She started medical school day when she was eight years older than her medical school friends. That was after she completed her Bachelor of Arts. People asked her, do you not mind starting the degree so late, being 8 years older in average from other people. Most people encouraged her to pursue her career in teaching History (if I remember correctly). 

She said, "well, I am already and always 8 years older than them. I might as well being 8 years older whilst doing Medicine." You're so coool, prof! 

From her story, many of the posts she had was offered to her, came without her expecting it. And she said she was grateful of the chance to learn so many things. She said do not give up. There are many posts which she applied for which she did not get, yet there are also many that she got. She said, "when one door closes, other doors will open"

She was clear in her intention to serve. That is the basic foundation that us doctors should have. She mentioned a quote, whatever it is that you aspire to do, if it's not going to be useful for your patients or the family of patients, it's a waste of time. To me, she uses every small opportunity that she has to serve and does it at her very best.

On one of her day as a doctor (if I'm not mistaken a junior doctor), there was a patient who came in with Scleroderma. Little was known about the disease. She said to her senior, "I met this patient yesterday, and I am sad that I don't know how to treat this patient". So guess what she did next, she did a small clinical studies of patients with scleroderma. Later, she bought a laboratory to study the treatments for the condition, and now it's a a national tertiary referral centre for patients suffering from the illness and is the major European centre for clinical research into the disease

She showed to me how, you should be clear and sincere in your intention to help. Start doing regardless of how small the effort is, and do your very best. There are just so many things that inspired me but I got so many things to revise now haha. 

I'll end this with a story she shared,
a friend of her named Rebecca had 4 children and was doing a research in Cambridge. She was moving towards professorship yet she was saddened by the fact that she was completing it 7 years later than other people she initially started with. Caroline said, "look, it doesn't matter. What's most important is, you get there. Other people do not have the commitments you have"

In the end, you live your life. You aim for the best and strive for it. Take your time, skate through in your own pace. Chill.

I'll get there, Prof. I want to join you in making changes to the world. Medicine will be my niche.