PSD scholars find hospital stint fulfilling

Star: SHAH ALAM: Be curious, be prepared for the worst and have a good breakfast before heading to the hospital, as you will be very busy.
That is the advice from four Public Service Department (PSD) scholars to some 1,800 SPM top scorers who have applied for PSD medical scholarships and have been shortlisted to undergo a three-day stint at government hospitals.
The four PSD scholars – K. Anjanna (medicine), Nurul Hidayah Mizan (pharmacy), Lim Renly (pharmacy) and Low Chin Yeong (pharmacy) – had all gone through similar stints as part of their A-level course.
However, the stint this time around is mandatory for those who have been short-listed, and it begins tomorrow.
It intends to expose students to the rigors and realities of being a doctor.
PSD medical scholar Anjanna, 19, said the stint proved very useful to her as she got to see how doctors worked.
“They are very busy. They may also not have time to take you around everywhere and explain everything to you, so you must take the initiative and ask questions and explore the hospital yourself.”
Anjanna said she found the cancer ward of the hospital the most depressing, as many of the patients were her age.
“We always think that cancer is an old person's disease but that is not true. But after seeing all that, I'm more committed to becoming a doctor as I want to be that person who wakes up at 2am to save someone's life,” she said.
Low, 19, said one had to be prepared for gory situations especially in the emergency room.
“It is very normal to see broken legs, arms, and bodies split open after road accidents,” she said, adding that she could cope with it.
None of these incidents seemed to faze the scholars and they said it was “really cool” to follow doctors on their rounds.
Nurul Hidayah also said that making a good impression in terms of dressing was a must.
“Do not be late,” she said, adding that nurses were also a good source of information.