I think perhaps the most important takeaway from my experience here at Memorial Sloan Kettering is developing an understanding for the human component of medicine. So much of what a doctor does isn't just the particular technical skill set that took him years to hone, but the ability to emphasize with his patients. This realization came to fruition when sitting at last week's Orthopaedics Services lecture. Doctor Patrick Boyland was talking about the different treatment courses available for treating metastatic bone cancers. He said something that I'll always remember:
"Well, the thing is. Six months for a patient with cancer is very different from six months from you and I. For us it just goes by like that. For them.... it could be a whole 'nother ballgame. I had a patient once who just wanted to see her grandson graduate from Harvard Medical School. So she got the surgery, went up to Boston, came back, and died peacefully thereafter."
This is relevant because when thinking about healthcare costs and the expense of administering/developing therapies. End of life care is always a tricky subject, especially considering that economically, these dying people impose a huge burden on an already taxed system. So here I am writing this up -- I am honestly conflicted. While it was much easier to take a more fiscally responsible stance before and be less generous towards the dying, my recent experiences here and back in Shanghai (my Grandfather is currently dying of pancreatic cancer) have made me realize that I can't really say that with a straight face anymore.
But at least I can say that I'm proud to be doing what I'm doing. I've been in the Cancer field for quite a few years now -- have I found my life's work?
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