Personal Narrative: What I Learned In The Medical Field
“How dare you tell me you understand my situation?”
This was the response I got after telling a patient, on a medical mission trip, that I understood it was difficult for her to buy fresh toothbrushes regularly. I learned the hard way never to tell someone that you understand their situation because everyone’s situation is unique to them. Based on my experiences, being humble does not mean sympathizing with other people’s struggles, but rather stands for being fully present while interacting with people with no motivation besides compassion.
I have struggled with humility in my medical volunteer work. I find it difficult to take all the knowledge learned in Berkeley’s science classes and impart it upon a patient without coming off as arrogant. …show more content…
In high school, I won a tennis state championship and was ranked number one in men’s doubles. At Berkeley, I suddenly was not the best anymore. The coaches tried to help me out; but rather than listening to my reasoning, I got a lot of sympathy. I felt the same disconnect with my new team that I also felt with my patients. However, in sports, I was on the other side of it. During this time, I remember that the only thing I wanted was not to be right or felt bad for, but simply to be heard.
I use this experience gained from sports to better deliver health care. I have seen the importance of being fully present for the patients by not approaching the conversation just to talk, but also to listen. I have seen the power of simply being compassionate and how that creates trust leading to more meaningful conversations. I have seen how humility can bridge social and educational boundaries allowing me to give advice without seeming superior.
To me, humility is not a tangible item, but rather a way of life. And while I have made significant progress in my journey, there is always more to learn. Just like in sports, there is no end goal. Humility is not something that can be accomplished, but I can work towards staying humble day to day and person to person. That is what motivates me – freely I have been given, and freely I will
This was the response I got after telling a patient, on a medical mission trip, that I understood it was difficult for her to buy fresh toothbrushes regularly. I learned the hard way never to tell someone that you understand their situation because everyone’s situation is unique to them. Based on my experiences, being humble does not mean sympathizing with other people’s struggles, but rather stands for being fully present while interacting with people with no motivation besides compassion.
I have struggled with humility in my medical volunteer work. I find it difficult to take all the knowledge learned in Berkeley’s science classes and impart it upon a patient without coming off as arrogant. …show more content…
In high school, I won a tennis state championship and was ranked number one in men’s doubles. At Berkeley, I suddenly was not the best anymore. The coaches tried to help me out; but rather than listening to my reasoning, I got a lot of sympathy. I felt the same disconnect with my new team that I also felt with my patients. However, in sports, I was on the other side of it. During this time, I remember that the only thing I wanted was not to be right or felt bad for, but simply to be heard.
I use this experience gained from sports to better deliver health care. I have seen the importance of being fully present for the patients by not approaching the conversation just to talk, but also to listen. I have seen the power of simply being compassionate and how that creates trust leading to more meaningful conversations. I have seen how humility can bridge social and educational boundaries allowing me to give advice without seeming superior.
To me, humility is not a tangible item, but rather a way of life. And while I have made significant progress in my journey, there is always more to learn. Just like in sports, there is no end goal. Humility is not something that can be accomplished, but I can work towards staying humble day to day and person to person. That is what motivates me – freely I have been given, and freely I will