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Should I Put the Ring On?By Selene Yuen
If I had to think of one word that to me best described the medical profession, I would say “marriage”.[To Top]
Indeed, the medical profession is just like a spouse, except that it is not a concrete figure. I have always believed that once I have decided that medicine is for me, I must be ready to commit my whole life to it. In fact, I have a strange thought that, to some of you, may seem totally insane: I picture myself as a bride walking into a brightly lit church with my friends and relatives all present at the wedding. In front of me, a long, red carpet stretches down the hall, at the end of which stands the groom. His name is Med.
As I walk down the hall, I glance at my friends and relatives sitting on the church’s benches. They are beaming with pride. I remember how they encouraged me all these years to marry Med. All they had in mind was that he would make me rich and famous, not to mention the high social status that I would attain. This, may be true to a certain extent, but it is definitely not what I am looking for in Med. Ignoring other people’s continuous urging, I remind myself that it is me, not them, who has the right to decide who I am going to marry.
Unfortunately, being only spectators, most of them fail to realize that I have quite a number of competitors who are more qualified than I am. Because of Med’s wealth and popularity, a lot of pre-med students, between the ages of 20 to 35, including those with a Masters or Ph.D, are fighting desperately to win his heart. The competition is so fierce that I, like many pre-med students, cannot help worrying: I worry about my marks, no matter how insignificant a test or quiz may be; I worry about the MCAT and wonder how many times I may have to take it; I worry about the interview, though I may not even have the chance to worry about it…… The list is endless.
But before getting carried away by the rising anxiety, I have to clarify and re-evaluate my own interests first. Is Med for me? In spite of the joyful, harmonious music echoing in the church, I still find myself very confused. I am now standing next to Med, with the priest in front of us. And I know that at this moment, I have to make one of the most important decisions of my whole life. I turn and look at Med. Am I willing to devote the best years of my life to him? When I think about how life would be with him, the thought of pain, grief and death becoming parts of my daily life frightens me. Yet, when I look at Med again, this time deep into his eyes, I discover hope, joy and satisfaction beyond the hardship and stress. I truly believe that the gratification I will derive from seeing the sick get better and leading a healthier life will enrich my own life. This, to me, is most important.
The priest announces that it is time to exchange the wedding rings. I have made up my mind. I gently slip my ring onto Med’s finger. Now, I only have to wait patiently for him to put his onto mine.
The Life of a Pre-Med Student
By Alan Fung
Life has never been easy for anybody who is thinking of going to medical school! Not even for the summer, as summer is the best time to explore the medical profession.
I am no exception; I was busy volunteering at the Toronto Hospital. Volunteering is one of the best ways to find out if medicine (or other health-care professions) is a good career choice. Volunteer work, on the other hand, is not confined to the hospital setting. Places like homes for the aged, community centers, or churches are also popular choices among pre-med students. However, simply doing is not good enough. You’ve got to really love the work; a willingness to help and serve people is a pre-requisite for being a good medical doctor.
At times I feel tired… especially when most people are spending their summer in outdoor activities or a summer job. For me, summertime is simply a continuation of the school year – summer courses, plus the volunteer work. Many a time I really wanted to take a day off, and go out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. But it really drives me to think about my suitability for the profession. If I someday become a real doctor, can I take a day off whenever I want to go to Lake Simcoe? Nope! In being a doctor one must be willing to sacrifice one’s pleasure and private time, solely for the sake of saving others’ lives. A doctor does not merely carry a glamorous MD title, but also a responsibility for maintaining the well-being of others.
As the summer vacation passes by, another tough year is ahead. Academic work is highly important. As you know, even getting a GPA of 3.9 (on the OMSAS 4.0 scale) cannot guarantee anything. Medicine is both an art and a science. A mastery of medical knowledge is crucial but not the whole. A compassion for people and a strong will to sustain hardship (physical, emotional, intellectual) are more important for this profession. Remember, medical schools are not looking for a bookworm!
And to those of you who are first-year students, welcome to the University of Toronto, and to the "pre-med team"! I can still remember how intimidating it was to sit in the lecture hall with hundreds of others, many of them having the same goal in mind: getting the highest grade to get into professional schools! This is especially the case in the "Big 4" classes: BIO150, CHM137, MAT135, PHY138. What I would recommend is not to confine yourself to exams and grades. Enjoy the pursuit of knowledge! Explore more about yourself and the medical field. And more importantly, enjoy the university life! You’ll never experience the same freedom again; and 40 years from now, you will treasure the memories of your time in university much more than perfect GPA![To Top]
O2- The Mystery Gas
By Sylvia Lee
~ An Interview with Dr. Evans, Medical Director of the Hyperbaric Unit at the Toronto Hospital
"The greatest enjoyment of working here is learning how this stuff really works," said Dr. Evans.[To Top]This stuff is Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy (HBO). This division of medicine has it own residence at the Toronto General Hospital, situated at the Elizabeth St. end of the Charlie Conacher Research Wing, with some other most attractive medical equipment of the hospital – the hyperbaric chambers.
"The greatest problem is dealing with the misconception of our role and the value of the interventions which this technology afford us."
"The big job is in educating people about its use and misuse."
According to Dr. Evans, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, in its early days, decades ago, had been misused as a general tonic in the past, and is still being misused in more isolated areas of the world today. The effectiveness of such usage, however, according to Dr. Evans is unfounded.
Dr. Evans believes in the specific usage of HBO. With specific physical chemical adjustments of pressure I the environment, O2 can be used like a drug. Oxygen, in higher doses, opens two doors: (1) acute tissue salvageintervention, and (2) help the building of new blood vessels. In the hyperbaric chamber, we can reestablish aspects normal physiology sufficient to permit normal wound healing processes to proceed, which includes the building of new blood vessels; essentially fooling diseased tissue of the body into healing itself as healthy tissue would do under normal conditions.. "It’s all physical chemistry," said Dr. Evans. "Some of the effects of HBO include stopping white cells from destroying good tissue."
WHAT IS HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY?
Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy (HBO) is a method of treating certain diseases by delivering oxygen at pressures above those that can be achieved at one atmosphere, or sea level (normobaric pressure). In order to achieve these "hyperbaric" pressures, a patient, much like deep sea divers or compressed air workers, has to be placed inside a pressure chamber. Thus, the total ambient pressure can be increased to two or three times normal. The patient then breathes 100% oxygen at the higher ambient pressure for a pre-determined period. Both acute life-threatening and chronic conditions are treated with beneficial results.
ORIGIN OF HBO:
The technology used in HBO was originally developed to treat diving injuries. Subsequently this equipment has been used in various experimental applications. Only a few of these have proven effective.
"I am doing the most exciting work of my career."
THE BECOMING PROCESS:
Dr. Evans has his background in occupational environment medicine, an unusual area dealing with toxicology (eg. Air sampling problems, heat and cold stress, repetitive strains) and ergonomics (machines and human interaction). One of the areas in occupational environment medicine is diving. Dr. Evans was also a sport diver. Concerned about his sport, Evans wanted to learn more about it. He was consequently introduced to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and became involved ever since.
ABOUT HYPERBARIC CHAMBERS:
Three chambers currently exist at the Toronto General Hospital: a large walk-in style "multiplace" chamber with room enough for 8; and 2 "monoplace" (single occupant) chambers.
PROBLEMS TREATED BY HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY:
1. Diving Problems – including air embolism, decompression sickness.
2. Toxicology Problems – including accidental carbon monoxide poisoning/smoke inhalation/suicide attempt
3. Plastics, ENT and Orthopedic Problems – including crush injury, compartment syndrome, osteomyelitis, osteoradionecrosis and soft tissue radiation necrosis.
4. Infectious Disease – including necrotizing infection.Visit the hyperbaric department web site at:
http://www.thehosp.org/hbo/index.html
Science at its Best
By Bhavana Sawhney
DEFEATING ORGAN TRANSPLANT:
U.S. Navy researchers claim they may have found a way to prevent the body from rejecting "mismatched" organ transplants. In an advance that could help tens of thousands of people waiting for compatible organ donors, the doctors tested a therapy that seems to turn off any immune-system attack, even on transplanted organs that are completely mismatched.
The experimental therapy involves two liquid solutions, which are given intravenously. One contains a certain protein and the other an antibody. Researchers say the combination is 100 times more effective than either substance used alone.
The precise mechanism that blocks the rejection response remains unclear. It is suggested that the immune system is "re-educated" to leave the transplanted organ alone.
Currently, patients in need of a transplant must wait for an organ from a suitably matched donor. After the procedure, the patient must take anti-rejection mediations for life to prevent the immune system from attacking and destroying the foreign organ. Anti-rejection drugs often have significant side effects and increase a patient’s susceptibility to infections.
As part of their research, the team led by Harlan and Kirk, which worked with transplant surgeon Stuart Knechtle, transplanted "mismatched" kidneys into rheus monkeys and treated them with the new therapy for 28 days after the operation. No additional anti-rejection drugs of other therapy was administered. Six months later, the primates are robust and suffer no significant side effects.
The research may help human transplant patient within five years if future clinical trials confirm the findings to date. 1STRETCHING BONES TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS
Dr. Xia Hetao cuts his patients’ bones and slowly pulls them apart, quite literally bringing humans to new heights.
The limb-lengthening operations were originally performed to correct deformities and dwarfisms but are now also being used for cosmetic purposes.
The limbs are lengthened by making cuts in bones, which are then gradually pulled part by metal braces at a rate of 1mm a day. New bone forms at the incision, causing it to grow longer, with up to 5 cm (2 inches) possible in two months. The average limb-lengthening is 9.5 cm (3.7 inches), but a maximum growth of 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) has been recorded.2
1,2 ABCNEWS.com[To Top]
"One step for man and a giant leap for mankind"
Neil Armstrong