In today’s post, Peh Wei Jie shares his experience as a TCM Physician thus far, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the main inspiration/background behind your choice of career?
Certainly, it would be the eagerness to start diagnosing and treating patients with the TCM concepts we have painstakingly memorised and scrutinized over our study years. Being a TCM physician would allow me to directly put these skills to test and also to hone my interpersonal skills of communicating effectively with the patients. It was also important to have a wide exposure of patients from different age groups and presenting with various ailments.
How has the transition from pandemic to endemic been for you these 2 years?
During the pandemic, many stringent safety measures had to be implemented – for instance the usage of multiple PPE while facing patients and to work within such constraints while still attempting to manage patients’ conditions. These could be challenging as it was physically strenuous and demanding, yet we had to try to not compromise the quality of treatment administered to continue to treat patients. Transiting to the endemic period, we certainly see a uprise of more respiratory ailments for which TCM treatment can come into play, and also a certain heightened level of health awareness among the public. This could be due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has led more to take charge of their own health and safety.
What are some of the challenges you faced? Or something you have learnt that you would like to share with fellow alumni?
Over the short but valuable years of practising as a TCM physician, it was indeed humbling to treat and help patients from all ages, fraught with different ailments, and some who might have presented situations difficult to manage. This also has helped me to learn to communicate better, to manage my own expectations and to continually dig deeper into better treatment methods. For my dear counterparts, I would certainly recommend us to take small and deliberate steps in as many career paths as possible, to explore our interests and passion and not to leave any stones unturned. It is never too late to ask a question, or to make a small change, and this will go a long way in understanding and forging our career paths. After all, it is still a long journey.
What is one thing we can look forward to from your channel? / What do you look forward to in the coming year?
I look forward to more growth and stimulation in my career, and to always challenge myself to learn a bit more every day, as it might always come in handy in the future.
From PULSE Magazine 6th Edition
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