Higher, faster, further...

Higher, faster, further...why competition in sports is so addictive?

I find sports competition extremely motivating, engaging and delightful. The adrenaline rush, the urge to outwit, outrun and outlast your opponent. That last touch, that last breath, that last step can decide your fate. To win or lose.

The motivation is that, the more you train, the more you practise, the harder you try, the outcome will be definitely better. And victory will be rewarding, your triumph over your opponent.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said about being a doctor. Your effort does not commensurate with the returns. The more effort you put in does not equate better returns. Promotions for example does not take into consideration how many patients you see, how satisfied your patient is, nor the outcome of your treatment. Promotions may rather depend on who you are and who you know. Having said that, you cannot measure patient satisfaction nor treatment outcome per se as an overall assessent of a doctor's performance. For example if you give MCs to all your patients, invariable all of them would be happy. Conversely if you deny them what they ask for invariable they wouldn't be happy. Outcome of treatment is also difficult. If you see ICU patients, invariably a large proportion will die, however if you just see cough and cold, all of them will live!

Perhaps outcome of your treatment depends a bit more on how much you know, how much experience you've got but at the end of the day, you do not decide the fate of the patient. A higher calling decides that. We have too little knowledge about life. You may be the "best" doctor in the world, you may spend every minute of your life beside your patients, inevitably you will still lose patients. Conversely even you are a "lousy" one, inevitably you'll save some patients and might be promoted as well. They say self satisfaction is ultimate goal, not "worldly" rewards like monetary gains and peer recognition. But then self satisfaction is based on what? Knowing that you've done your best? It's easier to say than to swallow. Doing your best is not synonymous with gratitude nor recognition. Do I sound jaded or what?

So if you ask me I'd prefer to put more effort into running faster, jumping higher and going further as it is more satisfying. If I had practised more often, I might have been one inch faster and one inch closer to vistory. And then the rewards that come with being triumphant. Self satisfaction too for being the best. So see you at the courts! I shall be there more often :)