Failure is precursor of success

I AM writing in response to the letter “It’s devastating to fail students at the final hurdle” (The Star, Oct 7). While the disappointment is understandable from a parent’s perspective, there are a few points worth pondering which I would like to point out.

For starters, the biggest problem with the medical profession lies in its “fatal attraction”. We have all read from numerous sources/articles about how difficult the job is, and many dramas/movies/TV serials tend to portray the profession with exaggerated glamour.

To make it simple, many successful doctors in real life do not share with the public how difficult their job is simply because they have no time, or perhaps they do not wish to share with the world their disappointments in life.

Mind you, many successful doctors have suffered numerous failures, heartbreaks as well as sacrificed family and time to get to where they are now. It is because of this that I would like to suggest to the writer/parent not to be taken aback by failures in life.

I once had a friend who failed six times in his post-graduate exam, only to emerge an excellent consultant in the end. I also have another friend who is smart and adventurous but could only manage to pass his exams after breaking bones and his bank account. Another friend never failed in his studies till the day he was so certain that he would pass!

The core of the matter is, nothing is easy in life. The gardener’s crops may have failed, the police officer may have to suffer bodily abuses while carrying out his duties, the teacher may have to sacrifice his holiday for his students.

Certainly, life in the police academy or law school is not rosy as well. I hope this is an easy point to swallow.

Failure is perhaps the one guaranteed thing that leads to success. If you have never failed in life, you wouldn’t be prepared for it when it comes in future.

Being a doctor means being ready to sacrifice your own interests to serve other people. For instance, too many good doctors have saved lives only to be sued in court later on, and too many have failed to save a life even though it is obvious that the patient is too far gone.

These good doctors blame themselves in the end and suffer depression because of it. There are also doctors who sacrificed too much for their profession and patients until they were rejected by their own social circle, for none in their social circle could understand the nature of their job!

I am of the humble opinion that had more doctors stepped forward to share their heart-breaking stories in public, it would discourage many young people from doing medicine, for the sacrifice involved is indeed too great – so great that many doctors have dissuaded their offspring from joining the profession!

All we see is success but we have never seen how these successful people suffered in the first place.

Alas, it depends on what you want in life. If you want a life of riches, job stability, glamour and easy money, again and again many senior members of the profession have pointed out that it is not as easy as you would have imagined.

Life’s priorities also tend to change with time and place. You will definitely find that your life’s priorities are dynamic and in constant motion.

What you want now is not what you want 10 years down the road. Too many doctors have regretted their career choices.

The frustration is understandable, the failures are difficult to stomach, the financial and time constraints are too much to bear, but as with all choices in life, there is a price to pay.

Perhaps the author should approach the respective bodies/colleges for aid and solutions as to how to better improve his/her chances of passing as well. My advice is to soldier on, take some necessary steps backwards, rethink the problems with a fresh mind, and note that great success in life stems from great failures.

SENIOR DOC

Malacca