The rehabilitation clinic of Dr. S. seems empty and busy at the same time. On my first day there, after being introduced to the working staff I was allowed to follow Dr. S. around as he goes to visit his patients. Upon the first patient, Dr. S. told me to go talk to his patient while he finishes up with Susan paperwork. I met Susan, a healthy looking woman who was recovering from back problem that was caused by an automobile accident. I started talking to Susan by introducing myself as a student who would like to become a physician in the future and am following the doctor around to see how he interacts with his patients. She just smiled. After introducing myself, I asked her how she feels, what part of her hurts, and why she was here. At first, she was hesitant but as we talked more, she begins to open up and I found myself to be greatly enjoying our conversation.
Susan was so at ease, but when the doctor came about to ask her of her problem, I can see her facial expression goes back to the tense and timid person that I met a few moments ago. In her conversation with the doctor, she did not tell him what she had told me. I wonder if being a doctor will deter people from opening up to you.
I've always enjoyed having someone being able to open up to me, and from what I've understand, medicine is the one field where that can happen and stranger allows you to see and touch them in a personal way. Does that really happen in medicine?
Before entering UCLA as a freshman nothing in my personal, academic, and volunteer experiences had rattled my single-minded dedication to medicine. Why was...