Akshita Emani

If you’d ever wanted to be able to delve into the workings of a hospital, from patient to prognosis, then the Young Doctors Camp held at Yashoda Hospitals would be the perfect choice. In three days a vast array of topics was covered, starting at diets and ending at dialysis. Questions were asked, doubts cleared, procedures understood, surgeries witnessed, and, most importantly, a passion was forged. A passion for medicine. A passion to service the greater cause of humanity.

But developing this enthusiasm was not all that this Camp achieved. It encouraged us to be more curious, to have better decision-making skills and to take a lead. What was perhaps the most crucial thing that was brought to our notice, however, was the disillusionment of the medical profession. We were sensitized to the fact that being a doctor did not have any glamour nor money attached to it. Of course, there was money. There was money in any profession. But becoming a doctor for the sake of monetary gains was not only immoral, but also unrewarding and would definitely be a loss, not only to you, but to society as well. Then doctors spoke about the glamor attached to the position. They recalled their internship days when they would be working on long shifts in the hospitals, with no weekends, no holidays, while their friends in other sectors, many of whom had higher salaries and more leaves, were enjoying themselves. But this never deterred them. Because being a doctor has its own reward. A better reward then glamor, or money, or respect. It is the satisfaction that one feels when they watch a patient they helped cure, walk away happily.

Suppose after this realisation, you still wanted to be a doctor. Which speciality will you go for? Is it a doctor or a surgeon that you want to be? Can you handle the emotional trauma and stress?

Exposures to surgeons, doctors and patients alike helped answer these questions. We visited a wide range of departments, from physiotherapy to pulmonology, which happens in making decisions. I, for one, have decided that I would like to be a neurologist, preferably a neuro-care intensivist. Was I this clear before I joined the camp? No. The clarity came later.

Apart from this, we learner many basic skills, like administering Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, recording Blood Pressure and using a stethoscope amongst others. We were treated to a live video of a gallbladder laparoscopy, while a gastroenterology surgeon explained the procedure.

And lastly, we were able to immerse ourselves into the hospital’s environment. Doctors readily answered our questions, never saying that they might be beyond our level. They took out time from their schedules to be with us and make us understand. A surgeon even kindly allowed us to witness a surgery in the Operation Theatre! We were able to see organs in real life, and the surgical team themselves patiently answered our questions, while continuing to operate.

So, in the end, what was my experience? It was wonderful. I am very happy to have experienced this at this early stage. Yashoda Hospitals’ Young Doctors Camp has indeed made me passionate about medicine. And this is very important. Because I believe what is worse than a person without proper knowledge, is a person without passion. Because having passion, means that you will finding yourself yearning to learn more. Having passion will rectify your problem of improper knowledge. Having passion makes you love your work.

Having passion will help you succeed. Be it any field.