What is your goal?

Life is all about random occurrences that coincide leaving incidences and circumstantial situations that many would call fate or destiny.


Whichever you choose to believe in -

what is your goal? 

Many of us go through life either taking the backseat or charging forward. Doing so, we end up with different experiences and different expectations. Things that aren't in control are where we're born, who are our family, what country do you reside in initially, what faith are you brought up to believe in? Have you ever thought about that?

Aside from those, we literally decide our outcome in life. You want to be a millionaire - you take the risk and push yourself till you achieve it. You want a laid back life doing a 9-5 job and withdrawing enough for rent and food for the family, you just do that simple job that supplies you enough.

I remember when I was younger and many of the essays or talks as a primary school student revolved around "my ambition". Back then when the mind was raw and unaware of real-life bribery, cheating, discrimination, racism - how simple life is. Though you did not have a luxury house or car neither a nokia 3310, the only thing you had to think of was handing in your homework to avoid scolding from that math teacher.

As I grew older things changed. I developed skills, developed awareness of the situation and surrounding. Dreams were still beyond our galaxy, a voyage to the unknown.

In a gist, I wanted to be a

1. professional pool player,

2. scientist,

3. astronaut,

4. formula 1 racer,

5. musician,

6. youtuber,

7. surgeon,

8. mechatronic engineer

- but look where I am today?
- A doctor that is keen to specialize in Dermatology. It's a really long way.. but for now that's my journey.

One may say what we choose to become is the sum of all our experiences and advice that we have recollected throughout the many years before jumping into college or university or for some straight into work. Yes, opportunity is an important thing. I know of many who wanted to be doctors but due to lack of monetary funds or scholarships, they're doing something totally non-health related. I also know of people who wanted to be a big time business owner, but struggling to make ends meat.

So today I ask you, what is your goal? I made my goal simple yet difficult since I was young.

~ Even if I end up looking like a fool, so long as somebody sees me and has a better day or even a laugh - it was worth the effort. 

In essence, to make an impact on this Earth; 

not a small one if I may say so ~

Have I achieved it? Probably in baby steps. What about you? Are you simply going through life living it for yourself? What is your goal?

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NEVER STOP LEARNING!!!

They say curiosity killed the cat. I say curiosity saved the other cats.


From the time you and I were born, we NEVER stopped learning. If there was a day where you can definitely 100% say you didn't learn anything - you have got to share with me what did you do on that day. FYI, sleeping or being comatosed or dead - technically you're learning within your dream despite the motorless physical state.

Learning need not be a degree or even attending a class. Learning is when you learn something new no matter how minuscule it seems. Example, you walk pass an busy street in New York - you subconsciously learn about people behaviour or even from an advertisement on the billboard. What about in the dessert? You learn about how the wind and weather changes throughout the day.

In my profession, we can never stop learning. The day we stop, is the day we give a subpar treatment to our patients. The world changes daily. And although the steps in managing a simple cough and cold may seem the same, as technology and biomedicine progresses - vaccinations come about and possibly one day an instant relief tablet.

Having said that, I am quite tired of it. Since young the aim was always to achieve straight A's in exams. 80% although an A, was still not good enough. Yes, I am ASIAN level. Going through medical school despite my personal belief it was considered a "holiday course" to me back then, I still studied taking exams one after another.

Years later and although my instagram and youtube may seem all the happs (happening), I still have to make time and study after working or even during. The road to become a specialist is long. For those who know me, I'm the slacker or the class. Not that I choose to be. Somehow I find that there are so many things to learn and see or do other than reading a book or doing questions after questions.

I may have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) without me realizing. But I just cannot sit still when it comes to studying. It's such a bore listening to people telling me to study or etc. It's cool to know more about whatever I am doing. But the fact I have to sit another million exams to get there... I'm certain some of you understand my exact feelings very well.

In the end I ask myself - is it because I don't find what I'm doing interesting? Or am i just pure lazy. I guess it's a mixture of both. But do wish me luck for the hurdles I face in life. Hopefully one day I will look back at this post and say I made it through all those useless exams and achieved the ambition I desire.

Remember, knowledge is power. Knowledge is a right and a privilege. Let's make the best of it and

NEVER STOP LEARNING!

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HOUSEMAN are COCKROACHES !!!

Man, that title - like the picture above just sends jitters down people's spines.


I don't know why but whenever I start a video or post, I tend to always reiterate the fact that I am a doctor. e.g.

"As you all know, I am a doctor"

I must apologize as I tend to have short-term memory unlike my readers/ people who watch my videos. #IMHO (In my honest opinion) there must be a God because me becoming a doctor with the little effort I put in compared to my colleagues - is a miracle. Them people are hardcore nerds man. I guess that's why I write and make videos - a hobby/ place to runaway from the "responsibility" bestowed upon me with the title DOCTOR.

Anyway, a week back I released a video with the title
"HOUSEMAN are COCKROACHES !!!".
Before jumping to conclusions that I am a malignant power-house medical officer who humiliates and condemn my junior doctors - houseofficers, Please do watch the video.

Surprised to say that video of mine went semi-viral amongst the doctor-circle in Malaysia (8000 plus views as i type). It is my most popular video since years back when I made violin videos or other videos that I removed from youtube in light of my professional outlook. Essentially, my video drew mixed feelings.

I spoke about what I see happening - somewhat like a daily routine: Senior doctors belittling the junior ones. If you didn't know, a medical student is proud and happy despite the "stress" up until they begin working from the bottom up. Most medical schools prepare the young padawan with knowledge to overcome illnesses. However, this knowledge sometimes only ends up lost in translation to clinical application.

If you've lost me there (geddit lost in translation? *crashcymbal), I'm talking about the stride from being a student and leaping to the heavy shoulders of a doctor. Although they're taught how to problem solve in medicinal sense - dealing with a patient for real is a whole different ballgame. The vast array of disease and atypical variants are astonishing to say the least. With that in mind, the junior doctor is not given a moment of failure.

At least in Malaysia, from the day you report to work -

YOU'RE EXPECTED TO FUNCTION!

I won't get into the details of it, but basically the learning curve is near 90 degrees steep and the student must be able to cope with physical and emotional stress daily. The issue is, like any other profession there comes a time when he or she experiences the BAD BOSS.

As I said, it's all about expectations. The houseman (or any other junior doctor) must endure brutal remarks or sometimes even physical abuse for mistakes as minute as a word written wrongly on the patient notes. You may think I'm exaggerating, but I assure you I am not. This kind of attitude from the senior doctors is what I was trying to address.

If we don't teach the younger generation what is wrong from right, they will grow up and be 'wrong' like their predecessors

I must clarify that I did not mention by any means that it is wrong for the superior to "teach" the junior, but instead of socially humiliating the person in front of patients and the surrounding on-lookers - to approach mistakes or inadequacies in a more appropriate manner. I won't continue further but let the video speak for itself.


HOUSEMAN are COCKROACHES !!!
o


Finally, for the ones who thumbbed up my vids as I was standing up for the so called "victimised", as I said at the end of the video - people will not ill treat you by any standards unless you are not up to the minimum expectation. So like I always do for myself, I urge everyone to evaluate themselves regularly to better ourselves and to improve patient safety.

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