What's Ahead

Hey Everyone.

Wednesday night here. Well, more like Thursday morning as it's past midnight. Today, our group had the opportunity to visit another hospital. This differed from the others in that it is a private, corporate owned and operated facility. The contrast from the others was quite drastic. First, when we arrived, I felt as if we were coming upon a hotel and immediately wanted to know where the swimming pool and bar were. Everything in this hospital is fee-based payed by the patient. We had an extensive tour of the facility. It was clean, everything was fairly new, and they had a more extensive superspeciality presence. We also comparison shopped as we visited wards from the economically poor, which was one large ward with over 30 beds, open to anyone who cannot pay. We then progressed upward economically to visit rooms with 7-8 persons (500 rupees = a bit over $10/day), 4-persons (800 rupees = $20/day), 1-2 persons with or without air-conditioning (at least 2000 rupees = $40/day). They had several ICU wards, costing each person 1800 rupees daily. Now, this cost is just to reserve the bed. Labs, imaging, and other care are extra.

So, what's the point of me rambling all of this off? Well, over the past few weeks, we've had the opportunity see a government operated hospital where trash and foul odor predominate with limited resources, and saw the hospitals in between until the other spectrum of the corporate hospital that we saw today. One thought that I had to myself was seeing the physicians, imaging they pay, quality of life, interests. Why did some choose to stay at the government hospital while others the private facility, or further why some went overseas? It brought me to wonder about what is ahead for myself in my career. I wondered this to my family and also to my fellow travelers these past few days.

As I told them last evening over dinner, as residents, most of us have had set goals and timetables. Four years of high school with the goal of getting into a good university, four years of undergrad, medical school, then residency and fellowship. But, then what? Yeah, finally, find a job. But, I see "the working world" as being in this static place as I feel that I have no defined objectives, goals or clear path. And, I find this particularly difficult personally as, being the anal-retentive type A personality that most people in the medical profession are, I like to know what's coming ahead and to plan. Sure, my passion is to help others, but how does that specifically translate into a career with clear objectives? Will I be the physician in the government hospital, corporate hospital, or none of the above?

Luckily, as I posed these thoughts and questions to the others, we all had the same response..."I have no idea." It was great hearing that I wasn't the only one. Plus, as Bindu pointed out, family and friends look at us as if we are the balanced, level-headed ones who have things figured out. However, I like to see it was we are the ones who prolonged the inevitable career decisions as long as possible by persuing the longest educational route possible. Or, as my Mom said, "Things will unfold by themselves. Plus, you are thinking too much...you must be homesick and need to come home. And, you need to make sure you are eating and sleeping enough. (insert further concerned, motherly comments here)".

Well, I am off to bed. Hope to see you all soon.

Jones