Jump to content
Premed 101 Forums

Is medicine a way of life?


BIH20

Recommended Posts

i'd say for me it's a career...but if u also happen to be a wonderful human being (like i am :D), u can also think of it as a way of life...because this way, u can do so much for others that it's not just ur career anymore, but one of ur most important reasons for living

 

While its great that medicine allows you to help others, how do you feel about having to help some that may not "deserve" it? People who are wife-beaters, child abusers, criminals, ungrateful etc etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, it's not the most rewarding feeling having to help people like that... but they still are people, and helping these people is a testament of your principles - your desire to believe in the importance of life regardless of who's life it is. The belief that it's not up to you to decide who is worthy and unworthy of receiving treatment...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While its great that medicine allows you to help others, how do you feel about having to help some that may not "deserve" it? People who are wife-beaters, child abusers, criminals, ungrateful etc etc.

 

hmm...well, i feel that it's not my place to judge who deserves it and who doesn't...i mean, maybe the wife deserved it loll..jkjkjk :D

i donno...it's the weirdest thing, but sometimes i'm more proud of myself when i do smth nice for someone who's bad/mean...cuz how i see it is, there's nothing that special about being nice to someone who's nice to u...that's kind of a given...it's when u help "those who don't deserve it" that u're doing something really special...and sometimes u can see the person change a little bit as a result...and u then get a real kick out of setting a positive example for someone who maybe doesn't have too many of them. :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hmm...well, i feel that it's not my place to judge who deserves it and who doesn't...i mean, maybe the wife deserved it loll..jkjkjk :D

i donno...it's the weirdest thing, but sometimes i'm more proud of myself when i do smth nice for someone who's bad/mean...cuz how i see it is, there's nothing that special about being nice to someone who's nice to u...that's kind of a given...it's when u help "those who don't deserve it" that u're doing something really special...and sometimes u can see the person change a little bit as a result...and u then get a real kick out of setting a positive example for someone who maybe doesn't have too many of them. :cool:

 

But some pplare clearly anti-social in nature, and by helping them "get back on their feet" you are not only increasing the risk of spreading such undesirable genes, but also increasing the risk of the beneficiary continueing his/her destructive activties (abuse, stealing etc etc).

 

Don't get me wrong, i love helping people, especially those with diffucult adversity/conditions (probably b/c i went through similar things myself), but the idea of having to help people i desribed above makes me a little uneasy. Thankfully i believe in people generally being good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

avenir!!! I am shocked and aphauled!

 

Yeah that's the other thing, the idea that maybe by helping them you can make them a better person (which is most often, a load of BS). I think by denying someone who wants medical care help is very savage... maybe that's why I hate capital punishment. It's barbaric, I think humans need to evolve past that - and rather than act based on their strong feelings of anger, hatred, etc... act out of the goodness of their heart and only hope for the best for the others they encounter, no matter how disgusting the other person may be. Imagine if the whole world did this! haha... anyway, obviously wanting this idealistic world and actually having it are two different things!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But some pplare clearly anti-social in nature, and by helping them "get back on their feet" you are not only increasing the risk of spreading such undesirable genes, but also increasing the risk of the beneficiary continueing his/her destructive activties (abuse, stealing etc etc).

 

So you think it would be better just not to help them and let them suffer? Does that make you any better as a person?

Also, I don't really see what genetics has to do with abuse and stealing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

avenir!!! I am shocked and aphauled!

 

Yeah that's the other thing, the idea that maybe by helping them you can make them a better person (which is most often, a load of BS). I think by denying someone who wants medical care help is very savage... maybe that's why I hate capital punishment. It's barbaric, I think humans need to evolve past that - and rather than act based on their strong feelings of anger, hatred, etc... act out of the goodness of their heart and only hope for the best for the others they encounter, no matter how disgusting the other person may be. Imagine if the whole world did this! haha... anyway, obviously wanting this idealistic world and actually having it are two different things!

 

well i'm not really talking about psychopaths...but other than that, there's always a chance that u can influence someone, even a criminal...but my main argument is, it's just not my place as a dr (maybe lol) to decide who's worthy and who's not...and keeping criminals from hurting ppl is really the justice system's responsibility...but even the criminals in jail should have access to good healthcare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So you think it would be better just not to help them and let them suffer? Does that make you any better as a person?

Also, I don't really see what genetics has to do with abuse and stealing.

 

Antisocial personality disorders have a genetic component if i'm not mistaken. APD is a broad term that refers to people who due to physiological reasons, are less prone to feelings of guilt, and are likely engage in self-serving activites at the expense of others.

 

If i knew someone who abused his wife and kids, stole, etc etc, i would be reluctant to help them. What goes around comes around. Although if i was a doctor i would help them because it would be my duty as a physician.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well i'm not really talking about psychopaths...but other than that, there's always a chance that u can influence someone, even a criminal...but my main argument is, it's just not my place as a dr (maybe lol) to decide who's worthy and who's not...and keeping criminals from hurting ppl is really the justice system's responsibility...but even the criminals in jail should have access to good healthcare.

 

... time for the part where we poke fun at a previous p101 poster...

 

 

"you are simply wrong!!!"

 

moving on...

 

I swear this happens to me ALL THE TIME, I read "as a doctor" and heard that on TV just now... that always happens to me! Like reading something and then hearing it on TV or radio or something... I'm a psychic yo (anyway)

 

As avenir said, it's not your place as a doctor to ensure that criminals are not out on the street, it's your job to help heal others. To advocate for them. That's why we have police - now if you think someone's in danger or being abusive, then perhaps you should contact the police or talk to the people you think they abuse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest begaster
While its great that medicine allows you to help others, how do you feel about having to help some that may not "deserve" it? People who are wife-beaters, child abusers, criminals, ungrateful etc etc.

 

 

Lumping the ungrateful in with the child abusers, eh? :P

 

I think, ultimately, you do what you're trained to do. You can despise the person, but you're not a judge, jury, and executioner rolled up into one. Obviously, in a perfect world, doctors would only treat (and, of course, always manage to heal) the good and kindly, but that's not a realistic situation. Ultimately, I'm not going to say that some wife-beating junkie doesn't deserve my help. And, who knows, maybe one day he'll sober up and contribute to society.

 

When you start allowing doctors to judge who they will help and who they will damn, based on their perceptions of social Darwinism, you're entering a very slippery slope.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lumping the ungrateful in with the child abusers, eh? :P

 

I think, ultimately, you do what you're trained to do. You can despise the person, but you're not a judge, jury, and executioner rolled up into one. Obviously, in a perfect world, doctors would only treat (and, of course, always manage to heal) the good and kindly, but that's not a realistic situation. Ultimately, I'm not going to say that some wife-beating junkie doesn't deserve my help. And, who knows, maybe one day he'll sober up and contribute to society.

 

When you start allowing doctors to judge who they will help and who they will damn, based on their perceptions of social Darwinism, you're entering a very slippery slope.

 

 

I agree... my original posts were motivated by emotion i think (i got into an argument with a ****head at school today- gawd i hate jerks).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Antisocial personality disorders have a genetic component if i'm not mistaken. APD is a broad term that refers to people who due to physiological reasons, are less prone to feelings of guilt, and are likely engage in self-serving activites at the expense of others.

 

Yeah, it's interesting... it could possibly play a genetic role but clearly it requires tremendous influence of one's environment.

 

If i knew someone who abused his wife and kids, stole, etc etc, i would be reluctant to help them. What goes around comes around. Although if i was a doctor i would help them because it would be my duty as a physician.

 

If you felt happy to help, I'd be a little worried :P

As you said, "duty" as a physician... what makes it a duty? I believe it's because of some of the points mentioned earlier. Physicians have a special role to fulfill... (we've really managed to derail this thread)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree... my original posts were motivated by emotion i think (i got into an argument with a ****head at school today- gawd i hate jerks).

 

ugh, yeah it sucks. along the lines of what you were saying... it sucks when you're nice to people and they treat you like crap, but I guess I've always been one who tries to take the "high road" wherever that is. lol

 

working at my dad's store, I had to serve customers were total ****heads all the time - and ugh I hated it so much lol. every now and then though, one would be so rude and you'd still be nice to them - and then they'd change their attitude by the time they left. most wouldn't - and yes, after doing it for years you sometimes tend to lose some tolerance for BS, but you still do your job. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But some pplare clearly anti-social in nature, and by helping them "get back on their feet" you are not only increasing the risk of spreading such undesirable genes, but also increasing the risk of the beneficiary continueing his/her destructive activties (abuse, stealing etc etc).

 

Part of the reason they are like that are environmental.

 

Going along with your gene-centred viewpoint, if those genes are still present after millions of years then they must have some adaptive advantage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...