Chapter 10B
An ever-changing science in an ever-changing world.
As research has exponentially expanded our scientific knowledge, medicine has also leaped into a frightening future.
The number of medications has expanded enormously. Just listing down the names alone, the words will soon exceed that of the bible.
In oncology alone, the list is ever expanding with new classes of medication added on. Molecular level of understanding and genetics are now at the forefront of oncology. I would predict that in the near future, we would be able to detect a single cancer cell. Well, I am making it a bit farfetched. We started with trying to identify a single cancer cell in the blood. Now, we don't bother about the single cell but look at the fragments of genes discarded in the blood instead and see the cancer 'gene signature'. So, maybe it isn't too farfetched.
So, how do we cope? For near two decades, we have gone from a jack-of-all-trades doctor to specialty medicine as no individual is able to cope processing all the knowledge and treatment. We divided the human body into parts and specialised. Then we realised there needs to be a 'conductor' as in an orchestra who can fit things together. So, the general physician returned in the last decade. As that happened, subspecialty further subdivided. If clinical haematology is a subspecialty, then transplant is the sub-subspecialty. Now, doing haplotype transplant may be considered a sub of a sub-subspecialty.
In oncology, it used to be just lung cancer. Now you can subdivide and divide according to the cancer type and treatment available. In that way, there are already at least seven types.
The team of doctors keeps expanding and needs each other to treat patients. Artificial intelligence is coming. There are no two ways about it. Hopefully, that will bridge the deficiencies each of us have.
With the changing lifestyle, new doctors are also different. Different perspectives in life. Growing up in a digital world is different. In my younger days, I tuned in to shortwave radio and listened to BBC news. We could do this deep in the jungle. You cannot censor shortwave. It goes round the world bouncing off the outer atmosphere. Now it is obsolete. My nurses have not even heard of shortwave radio.
The guards are changing. Work life balance is now the quoted norm. Hey. Me too. It was work always, sometimes life. Now it is 50:50?
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You only die once
Non-FictionBased on true stories, this is a reflection on life and what it means. The author, a doctor, recollects on his near-death situations and relates them to his patients in a riveting and compelling book. An insight into a doctor's mind. All chapters ha...
