Doctor

MANY would have the impression that doctors are boring and serious people, perhaps with their noses in thick medical books and journals.

At first glance, Dr Chuan Yeong Taur may fit automatically into that generalisation, with his glasses and some very thick books in his consultation room.

But what the casual observer may not see are his priceless views and a passion for what he does.

“It’s important for doctors to love their patients, even before caring for them,” he said.

A closer look at his bookshelf reveals a surprising find: arranged in between the large volumes of medical journals are a few collections of manga books!

Dr Chuan consulting with a patient. He says it is important for doctors to have passion for the profession and love for the patients.

“I love to draw, and many of my works are inspired by the works of the late Japanese manga artist, animator, and coincidentally, also a medical doctor, Osamu Tezuka.”

Like many other teenagers, Dr Chuan was also uncertain about which career to pursue before he decided to study medicine at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

“I almost wanted to be an accountant or a chef.”

And Dr Chuan, who has been in practise for almost 15 years, has never looked back since.

My job involves ...

... many responsibilities, including seeing and handling patients, management of the clinic, staff and other doctors, dealing with company panels, and inventory control. This involves checking on the instruments, consumable products, and medicines.

My morning starts with ...

... a wholesome breakfast to help keep me going for the day before starting my work at the clinic at 8.30am.

In between my working hours, I’ll try to read some books or go on the Internet for news and current affairs if I’m not seeing any patients.

At around 2.30pm, I will head over to the other panel clinic I’m working at and continue my work there. Unfortunately, there is no lunch break for me, which means I have to “tapau” (takeaway) my own food.

I’m done for the day at 9.30pm. I also work half-day during the weekends.

To qualify, you need ...

... a medical degree. Back then, you needed about six years, but now you can complete it in about five years, plus a year of housemanship.

Sometimes it’s even harder to get into medical school than graduating from it.

Just some advice for those who aspire to be a doctor — don’t worry so much about your past, and never be afraid to take risks.

Read around and do your own research before deciding on your career path.

Most importantly, don’t be scared to go and see for yourself what people actually do in clinics and hospitals.

The field of medicine is like apprenticeship — you have to observe and learn from your seniors.

The best person for the job is ...

... someone with interest in the field, who is not being forced into it.

A doctor needs to love the patient. This also means that he or she needs to be caring, understanding, and above all, patient.

I love my job because ...

... every case is unique and I get to find new ways of understanding a disease, which makes it even more challenging.

One of the most interesting things about my job is the fact that every day, I get to interact with people from different job backgrounds and cultures, with different needs and expectations.

Aside from that, I also enjoy the freedom to exercise what I know best.

What I dislike ...

... is that it can be repetitive sometimes.

There are also times when the job can get really “ugly”, by which I mean having to deal with doctors or nurses who are not as passionate about the job.

Prospects for the future ...

... there are two aspects to this.

The first one is sub-specialisation. For general practitioners, they can go into specialisations like family and community care medicine. Secondly, you can go into medical management, for example, working in the hospital, where there are many different departments.

A millionaire by 30?

When I was a houseman in 1997, my basic salary was RM1,800. Now I think it starts from RM2,000. Don’t forget there are also allowances for overtime and so on.

But as for your question, no, I don’t think so.