what does professional responsibility mean to you

In the Hindu tradition there is this notion that to maintain the cosmic law, or the intrinsic orderliness of nature around us, each individual has to uphold his or her duty, or dharma. Dharma encompasses more than just a person’s “to do” list for the day. It’s about the moral and ethical responsibility a person carries with them into the world, every single day, at every single moment. I think this notion of one’s moral duty is closely intertwined with one’s professional responsibility. A physician is accountable for not only the health of his or her patients, but also for maintaining the sanctity of the art of medicine itself. Professional responsibility is the understanding that the practice of healing is something that can’t really be enclosed by the physical boundaries of a classroom, or hospital ward. It’s the understanding that medicine isn’t just a profession--it’s a way of life. And that once someone becomes a student of this art, his or her dharma changes entirely--maintaining the noble, honest pursuit of a patient’s well-being is now not just a office task, but a personal responsibility to the nation, and to the world. To me professional responsibility is accepting one’s perpetual commitment to medicine itself, both inside and outside the hospital.

A physician embodies everything that mankind should strive for. The ideal physician is just, patient, selfless and altruistic. The ideal physician has almost a superhuman amount of self-discipline, grit and determination. But first and foremost, to maintain the order of the world around us, I think it’s important for physicians to be able to see the world for what it is. I want to be able to take myself out of my view of the world, and see the world for what it is. I want to be able to move past my own selfish desires, complaints and discomforts, to just do what I'm supposed to do. Not entirely sure what that is, but I think for now it's being able to take the other person's perspective. The patient's perspective. I think it's being able to truly listen to someone, the patient, the patient's family, anyone. A student, a professor, a friend. To be there FOR them, not in front of them.

To be honest, my only role model is my dad. He is always thinking about someone else’s well-being, whether it’s his mother in India, or his family here. Though he never called it that, he’s always been passionate about volunteering his time. To him, it’s just the natural thing to do. Why wouldn’t you go out of your way to help someone? It isn’t really a cognitive decision he makes; he isn’t like “okay, I’m going to help this person because I should probably be a good, helpful dude today.” He doesn’t even think about it. It just is. The way he acts, the way he thinks, the way he carries himself in this world--this strange, foreign world. It’s so automatic for him; it’s like he was just born this amazingly selfless, noble guy.

I just wish I could think beyond myself and my own trivial problems. I think in our society we romanticize the self, and defining and nurturing one’s emotional and physical identity. "Describe yourself," is usually the first question on any application/information sheet/whatever. "Tell us your hobbies. Who are you?"
We care SO much about letting the world know who we are, and how we see the world. And it's like...maybe the world doesn't give a damn.

I like to dance. I like acting, singing, being on stage. Full disclosure: I enjoy attention. I like an audience. But I wish sometimes that I didn’t--that every conversation wasn’t a solo performance. I wish my conversations were conversations, not lectures. And if I want to be a physician, then dear lord, we can't do this anymore. Bored, talked-at, confused patients don't make for a better world.

...that's all for today class. plz come early to next lecture

just kidding just kidding