“In these days of hype over Artificial Intelligence, more than the IQ (Intelligence Quotient), EQ (Emotional Quotient) is important; that needs to be developed because self-esteem is the key. With positive attitude even problems become solutions,” said Dr. C.N. Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardio Vascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru.
Delivering a talk on ‘Medicine as a noble profession’ during the 19th (web) edition of The Hindu Education Plus Career Counselling 2021 on September 18, Dr. Manjunath emphasised on the importance of walking with confidence rather than running with confusion.
Elaborating on what makes medicine a noble profession, Dr. Manjunath said that the medical profession had ‘added life to years and years to life’. Technological innovations in the field of medicine had increased life expectancy of people. “It is a profession where your service to the community is appreciated. It gives a new lease of life to a person. The gratitude that one receives for treating patients is unimaginable,” he said while sharing anecdotes about show of love and affection towards him by patients.
Referring the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that the numbner of deaths would have been much more if there were no doctors.
Dr. Manjunath said treating a patient with ‘CARE’ means showing compassion, attention, respect and empathy. “Four Cs are crucial for medical professionals, namely Compassion, Concentration, Communication and Consistency. Love for the profession and dedication will take you to excellence,” he said.
The senior doctor mentioned how lifestyle diseases account for 50% of deaths in India, as the country had now become the capital of heart diseases and diabetes. Mentioning that 30% of heart patients were aged below 40, he advised students not to have high expectations as it would lead to stress and consequently health issues. The pandemic had added another lifestyle disease to the list, and that was of loneliness and screen addiction, he said.
Dr. Manjunath advised students not to choose the medical profession or any profession because of peer pressure or parental pressure. He shared tips on the things to keep in mind while joining medical courses, the colleges to choose and the advanced courses to opt for. He also said that B.Sc medical technologies too offer great potential as those completing them work in tandem with medical professionals.
Responding to queries, Dr. Manjunath emphasised on the need for intellectual honesty while treating patients with lesser financial resources. He also threw light on various alternative career options related to the field of medicine.
He cautioned students who opt to pursue medical courses abroad after failing to get medical seats in India, as there were several issues, including getting duped by fake institutions. He asked students to be cautious, particularly about institutions in Russia, China, Phillippines, and do a thorough verification before enrolling in a college abroad. All those completing medical degrees abroad would compulsorily have to pass an examination for practicing in India, he said.
The gold sponsors for the event are AMC Institutions, Bengaluru; Atria Institute of Technology, Bengaluru; and INSIGHTS IAS, Bengaluru.
The silver sponsors are Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bengaluru; Hindustan Business School, Bengaluru; K.S. Group of Institutions, Bengaluru; Shaheen Group of Institutions, Bidar; Ramaiah University, Bengaluru; and Rajarajeshwari Group of Institutions, Bengaluru.
