Education

I guess I should elaborate as to why I took on a second internal medicine residency. Firstly I should clarify by saying that I am not as insane as most people like to think.....Secondly, I should answer what one the specialists and friend of mine once told me, which at the time I did not believe. She said that the US system would stifle me and I would lose my flare for innovative thinking in light of the more intellectually safe evidence based medicine.....Unfortunately she was right.......When I look at evidence based medicine, especially for retrospective studies, and the hospital records they come from I find it hard to believe in these papers. Evidence based medicine to me is one guy successfully trying a certain therapy.........Sometimes, it's trial and error.....So in that way I have been curtailed with my thoughts and therapies and have lost an edge which I once had

For the most part I took on the second residency because I wanted to teach. I saw new graduates complaining about their education and not being trained the way I was. I saw a culture of teaching new graduate veterinarians to refer.....

Whereas I agree in referral, what happens to patients that cannot be referred due to finances, or extenuating circumstances like distance or an inability to travel to a referral hospital ? No one could answer me.

My father was a teacher, I watched the enjoyment he got from it and the frustration he had when the students he taught wouldn't apply themselves....Unfortunately this has become an all too common scenario. There is a a lack of willingness to apply ones self and a for want of better words the thought that every student should be spoon fed the information and be able to graduate without any effort.

 I think whereas there is somewhat of a problem with the process of teaching due to economic cutbacks, teaching hours and hands on exposure to wet labs, there is a bigger problem with attitudes to education and the thought that our younger generation is owed an education......

Here's one of my favourites; Nelson Mandela once wrote 

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" 

or better still from a man I loved, grew up with and still to this day value as my mentor. 

"If you want to learn, I'm happy to teach. If you don't want to learn go sit in the corner and let the ones who want to learn, learn"