A psychiatry resident advises a patient to maintain good sleep hygiene. An intern counsels the patient on the importance of a well-balanced diet. A physician advises the patient against smoking, alcohol, and cannabis. But then we go back to the wards; we skip our meals, we push through disturbed sleep cycles, and when we find signs of disease, we are reluctant to get an appointment. Throughout our careers, we are taught how to look for signs and symptoms in patients, identify lifestyle problems in them, and how to care for them. But we forget caring for ourselves. Should it be this way? I don’t think so. Patient care starts at home.
From the first clinical postings, students are taught the art of taking a history, palpating for hepatomegaly, appreciating the murmur. All the signs of disorder become the object of attention. But do we learn how to care for ourselves? Not that medical education does not care about the students. There are several policies and checks to look after student wellbeing. It is just that the culture prioritises something else. The student learns, by observing seniors, that staying late equates to commitment, that there is professional growth in personal suffering.
Definitely, patient care is important. Being dedicated to the ward is important. But what cost should it come at? Is an under-slept resident fit enough to manage that ICU? Would an emotionally exhausted student be capable of managing their emotions when dealing with 100 patients in their OPD?
So perhaps next time we ask a patient about their sleep, we should take a moment to reflect upon our own sleep. Not because, as doctors, we need to become the epitome of health. But because we need to take care of ourselves to help our patients. As Camus once put it, “We must be strong and happy in order to truly help those with misfortune.”
Warm Regards,
Dr. Priyash Jain
Editor, Minds Newsletter
