Internal Medicine Over!

Finally, the posting at Changi has ended. No more daily travelling to the East and back, which was really punishing at times especially when the amount of time could be better spent doing more productive things or catching up on much-needed sleep.

Internal Medicine was 'educational', to quote my CG mate. Indeed, there was so much to learn and the scope was so wide. One could never seem to grasp sufficient knowledge within the short span of time. There would be times when I was totally stunned by questions or caught off guard by signs despite nearing the end of posting. No doubt my examination skills have improved significantly before the posting, but I still do not feel confident enough at this point in time to say that I will be able to pick up all the signs and arrive at the elusive diagnosis for my final exam.

Nonetheless, it was through this posting that I got to learn so much more about medicine, not just the science of it but also the human and social aspects. There were patients who were in the wards since my first day of posting and were still there when I left; there were some others who discharged only to be readmitted a few days later for similar problems and complications; there were those whose social issues were more complex than their medical problems. Managing a patient is really much more complex than just having sufficient medical knowledge and skills. It is also about understanding the human nature and society, to be able to troubleshoot and solve problems when they arise. To see your patient discharged well and healthy certainly gives us the immense sense of fulfillment and accomplishment, but never forget those who are unlikely to be cured but definitely will benefit from a good dose of our tender loving care. They too deserve to maximise their quality of life under whatever circumstances.

Next up will be family medicine posting. Will see how community medicine works and hopefully there'll be time to spare for revision for the final exam.