SPENDING his early years exploring all the nooks and crannies of
the hospital where his mother worked, Zhou Chen had already
developed a passion for helping sick people when he was still in
kindergarten.
Zhou followed his mother, a gynecologic nurse, everywhere when
she was working, spending nights in her duty room and using a
stethoscope whenever an opportunity arose.
In 2011, Zhou decided to pursue a career in pediatrics and was
admitted to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, where
he will complete his graduate pediatric studies when he returns in
September.
Zhou’s early experiences are typical of the so-called yierdai, a
special term meaning children of medical staff.
In spite of — or perhaps because of — their familiarity with
their parent’s work, many yierdai tend not to choose the same
vocation, mainly because they are put off by the heavy workload,
poor pay and the sometimes tense relationship medical staff have
with patients.
Their parents also tend to be less than keen on their children
following them down the same difficult path.
Surveys conducted by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association found
nearly 80 percent of doctors didn’t want their children to go into
medicine because of the hardships, pressures and general stress
they will face.
However, some yierdai throw caution to the wind and go into
medicine anyway, their desire to help people outweighing the
difficulties they know they will face. This often leads to heated
arguments with their concerned parents.
At the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, six
doctors took part in a panel discussion to share their experiences
on the weekend before their graduation.
They talked about what influenced their decision to become
doctors and what they intended to do in future.
Zhou Chen said he got into big rows with his mother when he
decided to study pediatrics. At first, his mother expressed strong
objections to his decision, insisting that he should pursue a
career in finance and business management.
“She said I would not earn a lot of money, even though I would
sacrifice so many things for my patients,” he said. “However, she
was later swayed by my determination to be a doctor and became a
role model for me.”
Discussing their bittersweet moments as doctors, all panelists
agreed that their respect for the medical profession was rooted in
their deep respect for their parents.
But what makes it all worthwhile in the end?
“Seeing patients smile after they have recovered,” Zhou Chen
said.
原文鏈接：http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/health-and-science/New-docs-inspired-by-parents/shdaily.shtml
