The Small Wonders of Medicine

I just woke up, after sleeping for approximately 17 hours. We attended a party last night and decided to go straight to class afterwards.

But that's not what this post is meant to be about. It is supposed to be about an experience I had, which was something I've never experienced before.

I just finished a 4 week block of practicals in gynecology and obstetrics. Part of it was assisting at child birth which in itself was mind blowing but it was this Thursday that I was given the (for a medical student) rare opportunity to assist a Cesarian section.

For the first time in my life, I was a part of something that made the rest of the world around me disappear. For that half hour the procedure lasted, everything else was forgotten and gone. Any aches and pains, exhaustion, personal problems, stress... all gone. For that half hour, the only thing that existed for me in the whole world was the group of people in that room and the wonder they were performing.

During my education in the field of medicine, I was always given the impression that surgeons were generally egotistic assholes that thought they were better than everyone else. Since I don't let ego guide my life, I thus never considered I could be a surgeon, inspite of being quite crafty and practical. But after Thursday, I am beginning to see the better sides of surgery - the sides that are marvelous, mesmerizing and quite simply miraculous.

On a different note - exams, exams, exams. The only difference now is that I am beginning to see the light at the end of the (this) tunnel. And am slowly and finally looking forward to stepping into it.

Cheers!