The Velluvial Matrix

Having starting my 10^th week in PUGSOM, to be honest I would be lying if I said I expected everything that I have experienced thus far. Frankly speaking, having passed Anatomy Module and Foundations in Public Health Module in a whiz, I never expected time would pass by so fast and so meaningfully. Knowing that what you are learning now will make sense in the future, and knowing that you are actually in the good hands of really good lecturers is reassuring, despite tonnes of workload that you have to overcome.

In midst of complaining / whining of how busy things are and how stressful life is : something impressed upon me – the Velluvial Matrix.

It was the title of one of Stanford’s commemoration speech, handed out to us as reading materials by Dr. Sanjay, our module leader for the leadership and teamwork intersession. For your information, it is the first module we were being taught when we first entered PUGSOM. I never know that I would appreciate this article this much till the point that I realize that that article really makes sense. To quote :

‘You are joining a special profession. Doctors and scientists, we are all in the survival business, but we are also in the mortality business. Our successes will always be restricted by the limits of knowledge and human capability, by the inevitability of suffering and death. Meaning comes from each of us finding ways to help people and communities make the most of what is known and cope with what is not.'

The information for one to contain is just too much. No matter how much an individual shines, there are still things that cannot be done alone. More importantly I start to realize that this is particularly true in the field of medicine, whereby cooperative efforts from each professional individual is more important than that individual who shines alone out there. Speaking in more layman terms, medicine is definitely not like what you see in “House” the television series. Nevertheless, each of us, about to enter the medicine profession should strive our best – to be as thirsty as possible in our quest for learning, and learn – not for the sake of getting a first in the class, but to learn for the sake of our patients.

I am glad, to be at the right place. Whenever I question my purpose of giving up working and having a life ; and enrolling into a medical school instead, having been in this very school justifies all my actions. I am really grateful for all the teachings provided, and I am really glad that whenever I am lost, I am ever guided with principles of good medicine – with trust, compassion and integrity as guidelines and good academic teachings I am pretty confident I am at the right spot , at the right time.

I never expected all these , 5 years ago. As they say, I think it is serendipity that brought me here.