VICDOC Autumn 2023 - Magazine - Page 17
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CAREER
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BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT WOMEN THROUGH SOME
OF THE WORST EXPERIENCES OF THEIR LIVES
GIVES ME A GREAT SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT.
At the same time, it's incredibly humbling
to be part of their journeys, and I learn
something from my patients each day.
I chose breast cancer as a specialty as early
in my medical school years, my mum found
a breast lump. Luckily it turned out to be
benign, but I remember the initial stages of
anxiety and uncertainty. That experience has
helped me understand what breast cancer
patients go through, and I use it to better
support the women in my own practice.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PATIENTS, ESPECIALLY
WOMEN, WHO FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS,
FIND IT HARD TO ACCESS THE KNOWLEDGE
AND CARE THEY NEED.
I also find that women struggle to advocate
for themselves. They often have their
families and all their responsibilities on
their minds. Female patients often report
that certain symptoms are dismissed by
clinicians and that they feel they have
been treated differently because of their
gender. This of course leads to poor patient
outcomes. It’s incredibly important for us
as clinicians to empower them to raise any
concerns, and then we need to be able to
act on those concerns. And I think it starts
with our personal practices.
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