Thitipat - work shadowing at national cancer centre

just a picture of my name tag! :D

"Seeing is learning"

This is what i felt about work shadowing at National cancer centre (NCC) ( i don know abt other organization )
Though we walk after the oncologist doctors almost all the time, we manage to see what a doctor's life is like;always so busy picking up calls etc. From my point of view, attachment at hospital or NCC is highly recommended for bio students if you intend to pursue your career in medical fields. But i am not saying that non-bio students shouldn't go because it will be an eye opener for you all as well:) even for me too.

It was my first time walking in hospital, not as patients but as student on attachment. We have the priviledges to use staff toilets, staff underground tunnel and even can enter any rooms we want.hahas. Just as i am studying about this whole topic on cancer, being attached to national cancer centre really gave an insight to what cancer is all about. besides the molecular details of how somatic cells become cancerous cells found in the notes, i now know what are the treatments for cancer patients, the symptoms, the CT scan images, the tumour and even chemotheraphy procedures. During the attachment, some of the doctors who are abit nicer will explain the situation of the patients to me and even allow me to see how they examine the patient's body while some doctor will just let u follow him and thank God, most of the doctor i am assigned to are real nice because they explained to me as if i am a medical student. Those terms that i don understand i just have to nod my head and they even treat me lunch and brought me to conference whereby all the oncologist doctors come together to discuss on complicated cases. It was similar to our lecture style and i saw some of the doctors sleeping too! hahas.

I once almost fainted during the chemotheraphy because as the needle pierce throught the skin, the tummy bled and so i faster went out of the room and headed for the toilet. after that i re-enter the room.

after the attachment, frankly speaking, i am quite scare of getting cancer already. so from nowon i will eat more fruits and exercise regularly.hahas. and i once tell myself after this attachment " if i got cancer one day, i would just die on the spot cos i don want to undergo the treatment, it's like everyday have to come back to NCC and get poked by the needle and got alot of tubes going around your body and somemore also will be a burden to the family "

However, after what one of the doctor said that cancer is in a way "good" because patients know when they will die. so they can plan their days doing what they want to do before they die. so now i would rather die of cancer than dying from accidents or heart failures.hahas

cancer patients are not always depressed. some of they know it is curable and even fight bravely with positive thinking. for example, theres this guy who pretend to comb hair in front of the doctor even though he was bald ( due to side effect of chemotheraphy), he was smiling at the doctor and the doctor laugh at him.

" doctor, i know i am going to die of cancer, but my last request is i just want to eat. that's the most impt thing to me now" this comment was the most "touching" during my attachment period. the patient actually develop a throat tumour and he cannot eat. i felt so sorry for him:(