Hospital heads advise interns

The medical chiefs of staff of the Port-of-Spain and San Fernando general hospitals yesterday advised interns working with the Ministry of Health to focus on becoming good physicians rather than the quest to make fast money.

Speaking at a welcoming ceremony hosted by the ministry for 80 new interns at Crowne Plaza hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain on Tuesday evening, San Fernando general’s medical chief of staff Dr Autsin Trinidade said there is a tendency for young people to want to rush training so they could go out and make money.

“That will come, there will be time for that but it is important that you become a good physician first. That is of prime importance otherwise all your training, knowledge, all of it is wasted,” he said.

Trinidade said the one year spent as an intern was perhaps “the most important year” in a doctor’s life.

“This is when you put all the knowledge you gained from your professors and teachers into action. To learn good methods, good techniques and to learn good habits.”

Trinidade said the internship was a time to become a caring doctor, one who did not take short cuts, and did things properly “all for the benefit of your patients.”

Dr Winston Welch, the medical chief of staff at Port-of-Spain general reminded the young doctors to maintain humility as they carried out their work. He said many of his bright, eager, energetic, caring doctors after a year or two of a little earning and another few years of a little earning, lost the humble touch.

He said many believed “after a little knowledge and a few cents, they could walk on water. Please remember medicine is a great humbler and if you do not learn it early, you are going to learn it sooner rather than later and pay quite a substantial price for it.”

Welch said the doctors should admit when they did not know something and seek out the knowledge from others including nurses because they have a tremendous amount of experience to share.

He said doctors who fail to heed the advice given by the nurses will be left in their folly to make their mistakes.

He highlighted the areas in which he felt the new employees should pay attention. He said they now had an obligation to an employer which exceeded their own interest in acquiring learning.

Welch expressed the view that communication and punctuality could improve health care by 20 percent.

He admitted that many professionals fell short in the way they communicated. He admonished the interns to take the time to communicate with patients and their relatives in a way they can be understood.

“Remember an ill patient is an irrational patient and may be difficult to understand. So tolerate but please be patient.”

Welch said doctors had busy schedules and it had become the norm for them to be late for appointments. Despite this, Welch said patients were at clinics from as early as 5 am and the new doctors should try and be punctual for their clinics, operating sessions and when they are on-call.