Average or best, the choice is yours!

I won't be speaking out of place when I say that a lot of people are out there "struggling" to ensure that they perform above average. 'Average' in this case simply refers to the regular format in which things are done. I for one am among such a category and it’s okay to have such a mindset because the world we are in is a product of the select few who decided to think outside the box and were able to come up with innovations that make life more fun and makes a lot of other activities easier.

I watched an episode of the good doctor and was like “Imagine how difficult it was for doctors of old to diagnose a patient, especially victims of ghastly accidents”. One thing that amazes me about the medical profession is the fact that anyone can approach me with their health challenges and I’ll be able to render effective assistance. More so, as a medical practitioner, I get to handle people's lives, especially during surgery. Just imagine that right in front of me is the open skull of a father and a husband, the breadwinner of the family and probably the pillar that holds the family together. The family needs him and would do everything they can to ensure he regains his health. But the best they could do was to afford the surgery, it’s up to my expertise to make their efforts fruitful. Of course, God in Heaven is our healer, but as long as the surgery is concerned, God needs a man to perform the surgery. I must do all I can to ensure that the surgery goes successfully. But what if during the surgery I get so tensed to the point of puncturing a major blood vessel or even as bad as ‘chopping off’ a part of the brain that I was not supposed to? I’m sure you’re getting my line of thought.

This kind of explains why, as medical students, we are expected to perform at our peak because we can’t afford to make ‘silly’ mistakes. As much as possible, we are expected to be perfect. Sounds impossible right? but this happens to be the reality.

Now let me narrow this down to our days in college when most people are satisfied with having a pass. All they want is to have at least a pass and move on to the next stage, bearing in mind that the higher they go, the tougher the journey gets. But does it matter whether one chooses to have a distinction or just have a pass? Does such a decision have a long-term effect on the mindset of the person? Well, in my opinion, it does.

I’m sure some of you are ready to criticize me on this, after all, you’re entitled to your opinion. But why not hear me out first? Earlier on, I spoke about individuals who saw the need to think outside the box, and as a result of such a decision, they came up with remarkable ideas, fashioned into reality in the form of machines, equipment, or even techniques for performing certain procedures. I strongly believe that such persons saw the need to put in more effort and go beyond the ‘normal’.

In essence, I’m saying that thinking outside the box begins right from your days in medical school. How do you see yourself in the nearest future? Do you see yourself as one of those random medics that can only perform basic procedures or do you see people consulting you when there is the need to think outside the box to save the lives of people whose health condition has exceeded the frequent cases you find?

The choice is all yours!

Exclusively Inspired!!!