The Spinning Wheel

 The Spinning Wheel. 

A Man was carrying a very fast moving Spinning Wheel on his back.It was moving so fast that it was piercing his back.

Yet,he continued to carry that Spinning Wheel. 

He waited for months for someone who agreed to carry this Wheel on own back.

At last one person was sighted....

" Why are you carrying this Wheel on your back?"

" This Wheel gives you Immortality. "

The man got excited.

" I want to be Immortal. Put that Spinning Wheel on my back."

Immediately the Wheel got transferred on his back.

And the previous suffering man escaped.

The new Person now carried the burden and pain of the Spinning Wheel and started waiting for another Man to one day passby.

Post graduation life is very similar to this story.

After completion of MBBS, young Doctors get inspired by a branch of Medicine and decide to pursue specialization in that.

I was inspired by Operation Theatre during Internship. 

So after I returned back to Mumbai, joined as House surgeon/ JR in Surgery at a Corporate hospital.

Work was exciting. Doing Dressings of Diabetic Foot,Burns ,performing small surgical procedures like Draining an Abscess,Appendicectomy,Cyst and Lipoma Excisions.

I was 1st Assistant to so many Supramajor Surgeries. 

Lots of work,but I loved being in Operation Theatre. 

As days passed,the endless hours of hectic work without adequate sleep and food ...I would barely get 4 hours to sleep and was on Tea/ Coffee with few biscuits available in Operation Theatre. 

The morning began with many Diabetic foot and Burns dressings,followed by Operations which went post lunch hours.Evenings went in rounds,Discharge protocols of operated patients....Nights in Emmergency cases and preparation of next day OT.

Lack of Proper sleep and Hunger for months,made me irritable always.I started making mistakes. The Operations which I would be excited to assist ....found myself dozing off while assisting. 

This was not what I aspired from life.

The thrill of being in Operation Theatre was still there.

But excitement for being A Surgeon went off when.....

One day,I started the Dressings at 6am itself as I was eager to assist for a challenging Oncosurgery at 8am.

The Surgery went on till 1pm.

The Consultant and myself then completed our ward rounds and one patient was to be discharged. 

The Consultant told the patient " Tripti will prepare the Discharge card and formalities after she comes from having her lunch.She hasn't had even her breakfast and her mess closes in half hour."

After the Consultant left and I was about to rush to the Mess before it closes....It was days ,I had a proper lunch.....

The patient told me" Triptiben,you are used to remain hungry. But I am not.You prepare my Discharge formalities first so that I can go home and have my lunch home."

And I had to miss Lunch that day too.

I reached my room....all hungry....agitated and swollen eyes...Tears of anguish and a very Tired body.

I left my House surgeon post in Surgery and my Aspiration of being a Surgeon behind.

Applied for Post Graduation in Anaesthesia as I wanted to be in Operation Theatre. 

The sleep hours were inadequate here too.....but Anaesthesiologist always gets relieved to have regular meals.....never are we starving.

Postgraduation even today especially the 1st year is very hectic and stressful .

Physically and Mentally. 

It drains a student so much,that takes toll on their Aspirations when they take admission. 

The passiin towards the subject/ Department is there but excitement weans off due to lack of sleep and food.

Hunger and Tiring endless work hours....drains off.

Life is like that Man carrying that Spinning Wheel on his back waiting for another person on whose back he can transfer the ordeal of pain endless. 

Though NMC has made lot of changes for benefit of Post graduates today....

Yet,Every Teaching Hospital is always overloaded with patients.

Post Graduate students carry the burden of wards,Operation Theatre preparation and assistance, Casualty, Emmergency, Paperwork,......the work is endless, hectic, Tiring and Exhaustive.....especially in the initial years of Post Graduation. 

Every student enters in the beginning with excitement in pursuing a field of their passion.....but the Spinning Wheel piercing the back becomes too excruciatingly painful.....and one is left to think" Is this what I wanted and Aspire in my Life?"

We see many dropouts in Postgraduation degree .

Still,more regulations are needed for Duties and Work schedules. 

More numbers of Postgraduate seat....

Good staying facilities and work place in Wards and Safe Duty rooms.

Healthy clean and hygienic mess where food is available round the clock.

Off Duty hours.

Hope some authorities read my blog and amendment and changes made for benefit of Post graduates. 

- Dr Tripti Milind Galgali 

Anaesthesiologist, Hubli.