Comments on: The Ugly Side of Being a Doctor http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/ My Photos and Thoughts Sun, 06 Jun 2010 05:21:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Leah http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-6388 Leah Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:48:20 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-6388 Dr. Cason, Your words are beautiful and extremely powerful in their honesty. Thank you for sharing. I am a recent graduate of art school and have always wanted to be a doctor. I am thinking of applying to medical school here in Canada, but will have to start from scratch (obtain a Bsc, MD and then a residency) which will push me into my late 30's by the time im done. I keep reading really negative things about medical school, residency and life as a doctor (horrendous hours, lack of any personal or family time, abuse from senior staff, and absolutely no work/life balance). Medical students post feelings of absolute sorrow and depression consistently feeling they have lost their youth and have no joy on student blogs and it makes me feel completely overwhelmed. When I read your post it reminded me of why I want to do this. However I am scared to jump in given the risk and all of the negatives I have been reading. Thank you again for sharing your stories and for your lovely website and amazing photographs. I think what you are doing touches peoples lives more than they are able to articulate. Dr. Cason,

Your words are beautiful and extremely powerful in their honesty. Thank you for sharing. I am a recent graduate of art school and have always wanted to be a doctor. I am thinking of applying to medical school here in Canada, but will have to start from scratch (obtain a Bsc, MD and then a residency) which will push me into my late 30′s by the time im done. I keep reading really negative things about medical school, residency and life as a doctor (horrendous hours, lack of any personal or family time, abuse from senior staff, and absolutely no work/life balance). Medical students post feelings of absolute sorrow and depression consistently feeling they have lost their youth and have no joy on student blogs and it makes me feel completely overwhelmed. When I read your post it reminded me of why I want to do this. However I am scared to jump in given the risk and all of the negatives I have been reading. Thank you again for sharing your stories and for your lovely website and amazing photographs. I think what you are doing touches peoples lives more than they are able to articulate.

]]> By: Brant http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5826 Brant Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:55:12 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5826 Wow. Amazing. Sad, but amazing. I failed high school because i did not care. I care very much so now. I want to help people. I want to help like you. This makes me want to help even more. This inspires me. Thank you for writing this and thank you for helping kids and family's! Wow. Amazing. Sad, but amazing. I failed high school because i did not care. I care very much so now. I want to help people. I want to help like you. This makes me want to help even more. This inspires me. Thank you for writing this and thank you for helping kids and family’s!

]]> By: Nicole Jones http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5518 Nicole Jones Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:51:15 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5518 Dr. Cason, I read this with tears rolling down my cheeks. As a mother, I put myself in every one of those mothers shoes and my heart breaks As a mother of a child who is going through medical testing for something unknown lurking in his little body, your words re assure me and soothe my heart that your not lip service, that he is not a number to you. That he is real and you are real. That you are on our side. When called about the first results of his tests, it was all I could do not to cry on the phone. Especially when the word tumor is used.... So, I just ignored that possibility. He is going to be fine. I am going to be fine. God will get us through this dark valley. And in faith and by grace, I smile and continue to hold my little man and sing "Mr. Alligator" as he is getting poked. I happened upon this blog by accident surprisingly enough. It was attached to another friends blog. So you'll understand how surprised I was to read your heart felt words, and hopefully understand my need to thank you for being real and thank you for helping us. Philippians 1:3 Dr. Cason,
I read this with tears rolling down my cheeks. As a mother, I put myself in every one of those mothers shoes and my heart breaks As a mother of a child who is going through medical testing for something unknown lurking in his little body, your words re assure me and soothe my heart that your not lip service, that he is not a number to you. That he is real and you are real. That you are on our side.
When called about the first results of his tests, it was all I could do not to cry on the phone. Especially when the word tumor is used…. So, I just ignored that possibility. He is going to be fine. I am going to be fine. God will get us through this dark valley. And in faith and by grace, I smile and continue to hold my little man and sing “Mr. Alligator” as he is getting poked.
I happened upon this blog by accident surprisingly enough. It was attached to another friends blog. So you’ll understand how surprised I was to read your heart felt words, and hopefully understand my need to thank you for being real and thank you for helping us.
Philippians 1:3

]]> By: M'bug http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5485 M'bug Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:20:32 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5485 I read something the other day that reminds of this. "For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow." Ecclesiastes 1:18. (NKJ version) I read something the other day that reminds of this. “For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” Ecclesiastes 1:18. (NKJ version)

]]> By: DrCason.org » I Finally Submitted My Work to Oprah! http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5469 DrCason.org » I Finally Submitted My Work to Oprah! Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:33:14 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5469 [...] many of you know I am in a writing class and months ago my teacher  told me my piece- The Ugly Side of Being a Doctor needed a [...] [...] many of you know I am in a writing class and months ago my teacher  told me my piece- The Ugly Side of Being a Doctor needed a [...]

]]> By: future doctor (i hope) http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5249 future doctor (i hope) Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:45:27 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5249 I nearly cried... I hope someday I can be as good a doctor as you :) I nearly cried… I hope someday I can be as good a doctor as you :)

]]> By: med student http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5222 med student Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:04:15 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5222 i just want it to thank you for expose your thoughts like it.. i am a med student and sometimes its hard for me to believe that many doctors are so cold and they seem that they dont care about the patient feelings.. but i think is a way to protect yourself... if you dont care you dont suffer is just that i am a very emotional person and to read your post is really inspiring for me because i know that by the end of the day if you helped one person then its worth it... so thank you for sharing this with us =) i just want it to thank you for expose your thoughts like it.. i am a med student and sometimes its hard for me to believe that many doctors are so cold and they seem that they dont care about the patient feelings.. but i think is a way to protect yourself… if you dont care you dont suffer
is just that i am a very emotional person and to read your post is really inspiring for me because i know that by the end of the day if you helped one person then its worth it… so thank you for sharing this with us
=)

]]> By: Julia http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5207 Julia Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:46:17 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5207 Thank you for creating this website. I am a 25 year old who graduated from Georgetown (I saw the GW med school!) and am struggling right now because I'm considering going back to med school. I have pursued my passion for sailing and teaching with the company I currently work for. I have been very successful and have inspired and found inspiration from my students (all teenagers who I live aboard with), but now I'm thinking more grandly about the time that we have and medicine keeps call me back. None of that matters, but when I googled (which I do in my most desperately confused moments) "the best thing about being a doctor" - your site came up pretty high on this list. So, kudos to you for being open and for sharing, it's very helpful for someone on the other side of that void and debating whether to cross it. Thank you for creating this website. I am a 25 year old who graduated from Georgetown (I saw the GW med school!) and am struggling right now because I’m considering going back to med school. I have pursued my passion for sailing and teaching with the company I currently work for. I have been very successful and have inspired and found inspiration from my students (all teenagers who I live aboard with), but now I’m thinking more grandly about the time that we have and medicine keeps call me back.

None of that matters, but when I googled (which I do in my most desperately confused moments) “the best thing about being a doctor” – your site came up pretty high on this list. So, kudos to you for being open and for sharing, it’s very helpful for someone on the other side of that void and debating whether to cross it.

]]> By: Dr. Bader MD http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5162 Dr. Bader MD Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:42:34 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5162 i am also a doctor. i am an emergency room cardiologist. and i have lost many people and i have told one of my patients who is about to die that i also am terrified of death. but if my supervisors or manger finds out he'll kick my ass. and everyday that i go home from work i can still see the faces of the people that i lost. still alive in my heart. and everytime someone is lost i get goose bumps. buts thats just life. people come and go. so if you are a lucky person, born healthy-keep yourself healthy try to avoid going to the hospital and having someone tell you that you are going to die. it is painful for me or any doctor to spread the bad news, i don't want to tell them they are going to die or be paralyzed. i see then crying and many of them say "can i have a minute?" and then i come back and they are dead. i call for help and try to bring you back to life- CPR-Defibrillators-etc. if you have some thing to say please email me on McBader94@aim.com i am also a doctor. i am an emergency room cardiologist. and i have lost many people and i have told one of my patients who is about to die that i also am terrified of death. but if my supervisors or manger finds out he’ll kick my ass. and everyday that i go home from work i can still see the faces of the people that i lost. still alive in my heart. and everytime someone is lost i get goose bumps. buts thats just life. people come and go.

so if you are a lucky person, born healthy-keep yourself healthy try to avoid going to the hospital and having someone tell you that you are going to die. it is painful for me or any doctor to spread the bad news, i don’t want to tell them they are going to die or be paralyzed. i see then crying and many of them say “can i have a minute?” and then i come back and they are dead. i call for help and try to bring you back to life- CPR-Defibrillators-etc.

if you have some thing to say please email me on McBader94@aim.com

]]> By: Dr. Cason http://drcason.org/2008/08/19/the-ugly-side-of-being-a-doctor/comment-page-2/#comment-5046 Dr. Cason Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:08:44 +0000 http://drcason.org/?p=413#comment-5046 Mashal- You said- <em>"tell me, if i am afraid i will not be good enough, if i am afraid i wont absorb what they teach, if i wont remember everything i should know to be a good doctor… what should i do? i am not afraid of failure as long as i know i'm doing what a good doctor would do. im afraid i wont do exactly that."</em> Already I can tell you that you will be a good doctor. Do what makes you happy. If that's teaching, then teach. If it's being a doctor, then go for it. Don't let fear stand in your way just let it help you become better and better. As for the question about which class to take, ask your pre-med counselor. In some schools it doesn't matter but others are looking for a specific class you may be missing. I really couldn't advise you which one that may be. Good Luck! :) Mashal-

You said-

“tell me, if i am afraid i will not be good enough, if i am afraid i wont absorb what they teach, if i wont remember everything i should know to be a good doctor… what should i do?
i am not afraid of failure as long as i know i’m doing what a good doctor would do. im afraid i wont do exactly that.”

Already I can tell you that you will be a good doctor.

Do what makes you happy. If that’s teaching, then teach. If it’s being a doctor, then go for it. Don’t let fear stand in your way just let it help you become better and better. As for the question about which class to take, ask your pre-med counselor. In some schools it doesn’t matter but others are looking for a specific class you may be missing. I really couldn’t advise you which one that may be.

Good Luck! :)

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