All in a week

The week started on Sunday night; the LIME conference which by a fluke I manage to win a sponsorship from my clinical school to attend. Kind of intimidating to be among the medical deans of Aus/NZ along with aboriginal health professionals. And although there were a few medical students, they were high powered ones; representing Melb U AMSA or the National Rural Doctors Network etc! Really embarrassing because I don't know how med uni elections work or even how aboriginal health is taught in my uni, haha, being from IMU. Plus, boy they really know how to network! They talk to politicians about funding for their student groups and rock up to deans to discuss their med school curriculum.

But it was good to learn a little bit more about aboriginal health. We (from Malaysia) often think that Australia is utopia; yet the reality is that life is difficult for the aboriginals here. They have a health status similar to that of Bangladesh and a 17 year life expectancy gap compared to other Australians. And the people at LIME are really passionate about aboriginal health! Reminded me of the MSAP (Medical Students Aid Project) meeting I once attended where the students were so enthusiastic into going to 3rd world countries and were fund raising for medications etc. It was almost like a mission preparation meeting except that most people weren't Christian. Which got me thinking, shouldn't we as Christians be even more passionate about the underprivileged?

Haha, but the crunch came on Wednesday for me. I've not been back to St Vincent's or the King Cross area since holidays having been posted away for O&G and Paeds. Going back was a blast of cold shock for me.
So happened the patients I tracked down were unco-operative. Alcohol/drug addiction problems. Had a patient who wanted to "end it all" and ranted because he was withdrawn of his methadone and thought panadiane was lousy and *****
And being Asian, a girl and at the lowest rung of the hospital food chain, the rudeness was full on. Despite having a fair amount of exposure to the "darker" side of medicine/society, it's still uncomfortable. Having just submitted St Vincent's as my 1st hospital preference for next year, I wondered why on earth do I pay so much uni fees, choose a further hospital and travel to the city for such treatment! (I don't know if I will get my 1st preference though..given the limited places)

But this is the reality of medicine; more so as a Christian. He endured far worst and yet loved, with no strings attached. Exchanged His life to give us grace.


Other "depressing" things occurred this week, but that's enough for this blog.
Keep me in prayers! :)