Going Into Medicine To Save Lives

[GallbLad]

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Many individuals in this community seemingly pursue medicine in hopes of saving lives. However, I don't truly believe that is anyone's singular impetus.

First off, pursuing medicine to save lives is inefficient. One is effectively sacrificing a decade of schooling to save a handful of privileged lives weekly - if one goes into a field such as emergency medicine. More likely, one will become a general practitioner and end up assisting with the middle class in what may be dubbed as "first world problems," such as prescribing psychostimulants for 'ADHD,' antihistamines for the oh-so dreaded allergies, and ibuprofen for all the pain of being middle-class in a first-world country.

Meanwhile, millions upon millions of peoples are crammed in overpopulated, poverty-stricken, disease infested, and polluted cities across the world. If one wanted to truly save lives, one would be part of the machine that is devising strategies, implementing programs and infrastructure, and distributing resources to the hundreds of countries, with billions of peoples who do not enjoy the commodities that you, yourself have enjoyed.

 

[hoihaie]

Each and every life is important. Being able to save 1 million lives does not mean that saving only one life at a time is useless or any less important.

 

[trulylovin]

I think that "saving lives" has a broad range of definitions. As an EMT, I definitely have seen it in emergency medicine as rescuing a pt from critical conditions (e.g. respiratory arrest, excited delirium, etc.). But many other specialties also do this on a daily basis - surgeons, oncologists, ENTs, etc. Often times, general practitioners save lives as well - may it be the reading of an aberrant test result or the immediate order to hospitalize a patient. Saving lives, I believe, is to preserve the lives and humanity you meet - it does not have to be short term care, nor does your pt have to be in a near-death condition.

Like what hoihale said, each life is important, and it is also unrealistic to save each and every person out there. We are limited in many facets, and we can only provide for so many people - I believe the key focus should be on not how many people you end up saving, but what steps you've taken to improve the life of others.

 

[deleted480308]

The idea that socialism is saving lives is ridiculous

 

[Kaelis]

The idea that socialism is saving lives is ridiculous

I would definitely state that the idea of socialism saves lives. In practice however... not so black and white.

 

[Hospitalized]

Seriously gen surg. Cholecystectomy.

 

[TxC]

I was gonna say that you should take a philosophy class to explore this issue further, but then I realized that you're the one who stopped attending classes.

 

[caffeinemia]

Botox saves lives, I'll never die inside from the furrowed brows of disapproval again! Muwahahaha.

But seriously dude, you don't think surgeons save lives? Just wait until the day that you get a simple thing like an appendicitis. That used to be a regular life ender 150 years ago.

 

[Psai]

Many individuals in this community seemingly pursue medicine in hopes of saving lives. However, I don't truly believe that is anyone's singular impetus.

First off, pursuing medicine to save lives is inefficient. One is effectively sacrificing a decade of schooling to save a handful of privileged lives weekly - if one goes into a field such as emergency medicine. More likely, one will become a general practitioner and end up assisting with the middle class in what may be dubbed as "first world problems," such as prescribing psychostimulants for 'ADHD,' antihistamines for the oh-so dreaded allergies, and ibuprofen for all the pain of being middle-class in a first-world country.

Meanwhile, millions upon millions of peoples are crammed in overpopulated, poverty-stricken, disease infested, and polluted cities across the world. If one wanted to truly save lives, one would be part of the machine that is devising strategies, implementing programs and infrastructure, and distributing resources to the hundreds of countries, with billions of peoples who do not enjoy the commodities that you, yourself have enjoyed.

Why should I care about any of that? It's not my problem. I'm here to serve my community to the best of my abilites, not worry about what happens overseas. You get overpopulation then a Malthusian catastrophe. It's not something that can be fixed

 

[NeuResurgens]

I do want to do work overseas as a surgeon, but as has been covered in the past, there are plenty of people in our own communities who need lifesaving work done. It's not just "first world problems."

 

[FutureOncologist]

Oh look, another premed with a Messiah complex!

 

[LizzyM]

Oh yeah, want to save lives? Go into sewage disposal. Many lives have been lost due to pollution from raw sewage. Plumbers and civil engineers save lives. /not joking

That said, all the urban planners, civil engineers, and plumbers will not save your life when you have a perforated bowel and the "sewage" is causing a medical emergency.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Seriously gen surg. Cholecystectomy.

Seems trivial until you get ascending cholangitis and die

 

[gyngyn]

Physicians rarely save "identifiable" lives.
We support public health measures and behaviors that prevent illness (contraception, vaccination, smoking reduction).
We manage people who have treatable conditions that can lead to earlier death and dysfunction (htn, diabetes).
The measures that save identifiable lives are usually performed by bystanders (tourniquets, calling 911) that allow the person to make it to the ER in first place.

 

[musicalfeet]

Physicians rarely "save" identifiable lives.
We support public health measures and behaviors that prevent illness (contraception, vaccination, smoking reduction).
We manage people who have treatable conditions that can lead to earlier death and dysfunction (htn, diabetes).
The measures that save identifiable lives are usually performed by bystanders (torniquets, calling 911) that allow the person to make it to the ER in first place.

To add onto gyngyn's point, I disagree with OP on the notion that Primary Care doesn't save lives--on the contrary, they're often the first source of information for laymen about health and disease, so primary care physicans also "save lives" by spreading education and awareness about a variety of ailments.

 

[gyngyn]

To add onto gyngyn's point, I disagree with OP on the notion that Primary Care doesn't save lives--on the contrary, they're often the first source of information for laymen about health and disease, so primary care physicans also "save lives" by spreading education and awareness about a variety of ailments.

This is why these guys have my great respect. Nobody ever thanks their doctor for the heart attack they didn't have.
Still, their doctor absolutely deserves credit for her share in managing the conditions that would have led to it.

 

[NickNaylor]

To add onto gyngyn's point, I disagree with OP on the notion that Primary Care doesn't save lives--on the contrary, they're often the first source of information for laymen about health and disease, so primary care physicans also "save lives" by spreading education and awareness about a variety of ailments.

Not to mention that effective primary care can potentially prevent the need for more intensive procedures due to complications to disease. Some things can't be overcome, but the utility of effective primary care is often understated in medicine, I think.

 

[Narmerguy]

Everyone has a role to play. System doesn't work if everyone wants to be the dude pushing the big red button. Thankfully there are people who enjoy roles at different points along the system.