Ultimate Power

People often believe that Surgery is about power. God-complexes and glory. Admittedly, there are surgeons out there with that behaviour. I am the alpha and omega; but the truth is, I'm sure there are many personalities along those lines in other specialties. It's just an inconvenient truth that the personalities Surgery attracts as a career just happens to be compatible with power-hungry people. Delayed gratification has its effects on a lot of medical practitioners and of course, medical students. Being at the bottom of the hierarchy, some thought of being in complete control, picturing oneself in the seat of decision making and constantly being correct, consistent and precise. It's something worth fighting for, especially for people who feel the need to be recognised. Emotional deprivation may not be uncommon among medical students.

However, as much as I want to embark on a journey that will lead me to become a surgeon, one simply needs to discuss surgery and its principles with members of the College of Surgeons to understand the significance of making a surgical decision. Surgeons themselves hesitate to operate - or they should. One should ask oneself: Is it safe to operate? Is it appropriate to offer the person in front of me an operation? What's more, these questions must be highly individualised in order for these doctors to cater to the needs of patients, their values and goals. Tailored practice is best. Leaving the patient with the power to decide what treatment is best is the ultimate goal. Offering and recommending surgery, not deciding for patients, is paramount.

My girlfriend and I were talking about what attracted me so much to Surgery as a career path and the answer was simple: I am impatient and want to see the fruits of my labour. I want my patients to have some element of survival in their treatment goal. Physicians mostly manage disease and retard the progression of the end-point over long periods of time. Surgeons also do the same, however some diseases can be cured surgically and thus prognosis can be fantastic. I do not underestimate the importance of Physicians and that's another reason why I can't become one - they are too smart. I don't think I have the intelligence.

My girlfriend's response was - you're just interested in power; a patient's total submission to you. I paused for a moment. While I think that it is amazing how much people trust surgeons with their vital organs, their lives, it is not the motivator driving me to 'surge' in Surgery.

Essentially, there is only one specialty in all of medicine that has total power. If there is one specialty that patients give their consciousness, life and perception - it's to Anaesthetics.

We must never forget that Surgery without Anaesthetics is not possible. That an Anaesthesiologist is the person who has ultimate control over any person's life while they're 'under'. They are the key to any surgical management - they are they gatekeepers of Intensive Care in the operating theatre. So if one wants ultimate power over individuals, one need not look beyond a Laryngoscope.

The tool of Ultimate Power