The love of medicine

Back in the OR after weeks off while moving countries and being in Managed Isolation. After years of getting into a good routine with surgical instruments, drug names and dosages memorized, I am now in a very familiar environment but in an unfamiliar way.

The body works the same way no matter where on earth you go. The practice of medicine has some universal methods. Learning the differences between what is available in a new country and learning new hospital policies, even the addition of some new instruments or old instruments with new names has been an experience this past week. Units of measurement are different but the significance of lab values are the same.

After a few days off I am back to work tomorrow. Everyday is a learning experience and it is the constant learning that keeps me invigorated. That strange discomfort of being slightly outside of your comfort zone while having the reassurance that you have all the knowledge and experience you need to be able to handle anything is difficult to describe.

Amidst all of the new adjustments and amidst all of the challenges that this pandemic is bringing us, it feels good to get back to what I know. I could say so much about the already apparent differences between the act of providing healthcare here compared to the United States. Maybe one day I will go into detail. What I do know is that there is a mentality and an approach to healthcare that is refreshing here.

I still possess the love of medicine that inspired me and fueled me from age 3 to now. I thank God for that.