Happiness is now considered to be something needed to have a good life, something everyone must have. But what if, by trying so hard to reach for happiness, we become lost and unhappier? By Cora “The conventional view of emotions of good or bad, or positive and negative is rigid and rigidity in the face of complexity is toxic” says Susan David, a professor in psychology at the Harvard Medical School. People have woven the idea of happiness into the social norms and expectations for the stereotypical life. Suicide rates have reached a 30 year high in America and The World Happiness Report states that at any one second, over 220 million children and 1 billion adults suffer from anxiety, depression, and conduct disorders. These feelings people report are not always from a lack of happiness but from a lack of feeling that there is something more, of having meaning in life. The renowned psychologist Martin Seligman says that “meaning comes from belonging to and serving something beyond yourself.” “Just be happy, stay positive, smile”. Everyone says these things, but why do people think we must always be positive? “Our world is obsessed with happiness, but I came to see that seeking meaningfulness is the more fulfilling path,” says Emily Esfahani a well-known psychologist. Forcing positivity can create despair is an amazing video to watch as it explores this idea more deeply. One definition of meaning is the quality of having great value and significance. Meaning can be separated into something called the Four Pillars of Meaning, and these four things are what lead people to having a full, rich life. The first pillar is belonging. It is when you are in a relationship, group, organization or something where you feel respected for who you are, this makes you have a deeper feeling of significance in your life, which improves your well-being and productivity. The second pillar is purpose, which is less about what you want and more about what you can provide for others. This gives people motivation and significance in their lives. When someone’s job or life goal is to help someone, it creates a more powerful purpose beyond themselves for them to live for. Transcendence is the third pillar of meaningfulness. It is when you are lifted out of the hustle and bustle of your personal life and your sense of self fades away, leading you to feel connected to a greater reality. An example of this might be different for every individual but a scenario where people might feel this is when they are running or doing a sport and in the moments when they feel like they cannot go on, they push through and find transcendence. The final pillar is storytelling. This is how you tell people about yourself, the way you talk about your life experiences and events, and the words you use to describe them and the emotions and feelings you feel impact your perspective on life. Making a narrative of the significant events in your life provides clarity and helps you understand how you got to be who you are now. For example, when someone is talking about their past, and even though something they may see as dark has happened to them, they turn their hardship into a lesson and a reflection of how they can improve themselves. Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash When people have even one of these four pillars integrated into their life, they build a deeper sense of meaning, and having meaningfulness in their life can give them satisfaction that happiness alone does not engender. The book called The Power of Meaning is a perfect choice as a follow-up read to this article.
Having something more to live for than just the elusive idea of happiness can give a person more satisfaction and improve one’s wellbeing. “Happiness comes and goes, but when life is really good and things are really bad, having meaning gives you something to hold on to.” said Emily Esfahani.
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Whenever you ask anyone which games use a racket, they might just say tennis, but it’s not the only sport with strings (or no strings like padel!) out there. By Sohini Photo by Muktasim Azlan on Unsplash Did you know that there are a wide range of racket sports other than tennis and that some of these are incredibly popular in different parts of the world? There are approximately 35 widely-played racket sports in the world, including badminton, table tennis, padel, squash and many more. Playing racket sports has many well-established physical benefits, such as being good for your upper and lower-body strength. Besides this, they are also highly beneficial as cardiovascular workouts and do not require too much in terms of equipment. Instead of the cardiovascular workout you do at the gym, you could do it all by just playing racket sports, which also enable people to socialize through healthy competition. A recent study conducted by Harvard revealed that from 80,306 people ranging from 20 to 98, those who regularly played racket sports were 47% less likely to die of any cause and 56% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. It is quite incredible that racket sports can be so good for us both mentally and physically. And they are already bigger hitters than we might think. Did you know, for example, that badminton is recognized as the world’s fastest sport as the shuttlecocks can reach speeds of 493 km/h, which is faster than any other object in sports? Or that badminton is the second most popular participation sport in the world after football/soccer? Or that Padel is already more popular than tennis in Spain? Photo by Tomasz Krawczyk on Unsplash When I was 6 or 7 years old I started playing badminton. It was hard at first as I kept on missing shots each and every time. But I kept on practicing with my parents for years and years until I got better at it. I can now shoot high and low with accuracy. Even the world famous Lin Dan who has won the World Championships 5 times had to practice for decades so that he could reach an advanced level. To play badminton, players require a balance of hand-eye coordination, speed, agility and endurance. Some basic skills needed to play it are stance, backhand, forehand, serving and an effective racket grip.
And If you would like to learn padel then you can visit Padel Maputo for further information. It is next to AISM, just behind the race track and not far from Baia mall. Padel is basically a racket sport which is played as a doubles game on an enclosed court. It is a cross of badminton and squash where the ball can bounce off the surfaces around the courts. How lucky we are that such a wide variety of racket sports were invented from the 18th century onwards. There is something for everyone; those who don't want to play tennis can play badminton or people who don't want to play badminton, tennis or padel can play table tennis. With all this choice and with so many benefits, it might be time for you to take a swing at racket sports. What is it about swimming that makes the water our second home? By Maria They called up my name to the swimming area. I couldn’t back out now. My intense feelings were rumbling in my stomach. “200 meters, now thats a lot", they said. It made me want to cry. But when the first whistle was blown, I had to jump in the water and get into backstroke position. No choice. Focus. “ON YOUR MARKS!” and the whistle was blown again. I swam away fast and made it out. How could all of those feelings go away as soon as I completed my first stroke. How could it all flow again so quickly? What is it about swimming that helped me get rid of all my nerves in a split second and just focus on the feeling of my body in the water, flowing with the tide? How was I able to gain strength so quickly? Coach Guideon, who mentors the ISSEA swim teams, sees swimming as far more than just a sport. "Having been a swimmer myself, I experienced its transformative power", he says. "My personal connection with swimming began as a source of joy and self-discovery. I not only enjoyed the physical aspect but also found that swimming played a pivotal role in shaping my character. It taught me resilience, time management, and how to navigate life's challenges. Swimming became a guiding force, helping me organize my life and prioritize what truly matters." This profound influence led to him embracing coaching in order to pass on the benefits of swimming to others. "It not only taught me valuable life skills and discipline, but also provided a platform for personal growth. Coaching allows me to share my love for swimming and contribute to the development of individuals, both in and out of the water. Witnessing the positive impact it has on their lives fuels my passion." Photo by □□□□□□□ □□□□□□□□ on Unsplash But when did our relationship with swimming really begin? As far as we know, it started in Egypt, according to evidence at The Cave of Swimmers with drawings showing human bodies in swimming positions. It suggests that swimming has existed since 8000 years ago. However, since Egypt was one of the drier places on earth there are still some questions and debates around this. Swimming was also hugely popular in Ancient Greece and Rome, as it was part of martial training and education courses for males. There is also some evidence from the 1st century BCE of swimming races in Japan. By the 17th century the Imperial Court brought swimming into schools which allowed children to learn how to swim. The population started growing and some babies started to learn how to swim before they even learn’t how to walk. In the 1800s it officially became a competitive sport and later in 1896 it became an Olympic sport, though at first only for men. 16 years later, Olympic swimming was introduced for women. But swimming is not just about competition. It is the fourth most popular recreational sport in the US after walking, running and cycling. 91% of Americans (31% of the population) participate in swimming. For centuries we have entered the water and wanted to stay there. What is it about swimming that makes it feel like our second home especially since we are mainly land mammals? Studies have proven that since our body is made up of 70% water, our brains immediately feel connected, at peace and feel a positive connection when we are in water. Photo by Julia Joppien on Unsplash Swimming has a wide range of physical benefits. For example, it is the sport where you gain most cardiovascular strength since all your body is working together at the same time. It also needs the heart to pump oxygen all over your body, especially to the lungs. Swimming strengthens bone health as well. If you swim for an hour you can burn 40 more calories more than someone biking for an hour. According to a 2017 study, experts have said that swimmers have a 28% lower risk of early death and a 41% lower risk of death caused by heart diseases. Besides this, swimming increases blood flow to the heart when we swim in a vertical position. But apart from these physical upsides, swimming is also highly beneficial in terms of our mental health. For instance, it boosts blood flow to the brain which can help with stress. It also helps regulate breathing, which in turn can lower blood pressure and increase feelings of calm. Furthermore, swimming is an effective medicine for treating anxiety and depression. As well as these mental health benefits, it also helps to release endorphins and serotonin. In addition, swimming fosters mindfulness. If you are competing, you need to focus on how many laps you have left, your breathing pattern and stroke pattern. With all these things to take notice of when you are in the water, your brain will have little space to worry about daily concerns, but instead will just focus on the swimming itself. Photo by Rinke Dohmen on Unsplash So swimming really has a lot to offer. And when the whistle blows again, I will be readier than ever.
Take the plunge too; you never know what good things could happen. Works cited Lieber, Dr. Mark. "What Regular Swimming Does for the Body and Mind." CNN Health, 18 Feb 2024, https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/16/health/swimming-covid-blues-weight-loss-wellness/index.htmledition.cnn.com/2021/07/16/health/swimming-covid-blues-weight-loss-wellness/index.html Overbury, et al. "Swimming in Nature: A scoping review of the mental health and wellbeing benefits of open water swimming."Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 90, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102073 Sinha, Proteeti. "Go For a Swim for these 6 Mental Health Benefits." Swimming World Magazine, 19 Feb 2024, https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/feeling-blue-go-for-a-swim-for-these-6-mental-health-benefits/ "Swimming: Sport and Recreation". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Feb. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/sports/swimming-sport "Where did Swimming Originate?" Simply Swim, 2016, https://www.simplyswim.com/blogs/blog/where-did-swimming-originatewww.simplyswim.com/blogs/blog/where-did-swimming-originate Wild, Dr. Samantha. "Six Ways Swimming Benefits Your Mental Wellbeing." Bupa, 18 Feb 2024 https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/benefits-of-swimming www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/benefits-of-swimming Scientists from around the world have developed a new generation of pills, promising all kinds of pain-free pleasure. But will they truly be beneficial for us or are we just bringing in a wave of new issues? By Polly Photo by danilo.alvesd on Unsplash In August 2023, the British Medical Journal published a new study explaining that only one hour of moderate fitness a week can boost your health to an increasingly high extent, reducing numerous serious health issues including cancer. Yet a quarter of the British population is proven not to participate in any form of physical activity. In fact, a survey of people in over 100 countries showed that almost one third of people are close to doing no exercise at all. One might wonder if there is a way to make these non-active people get the chance to receive the same health benefits, without actually exercising? Something like a magic pill perhaps? Well, according to the pharmaceutical industry there is a pill. More than one in fact. Over the previous decade, pills have increasingly developed, providing solutions for individual medical disabilities, ranging all the way from diabetes to sleep deprivation. Of course, most pills were initially created to provide for the needs of the sick and elderly around the world. However, due to the many seemingly positive side effects - such as weight loss, a stronger immune system and stronger bones - these pills have grown more popular. Since 2002, over two thirds of these drug consumers have been found to have no medical conditions. Among these pills is Ozempic, originally designed to help patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, use of the pill has become twice as widespread since 2021, but for all the wrong reasons. It has not grown in popularity because it has been proven to help diabetics, but because people have been attracted by its promise of helping them to lose weight. The downsides of this supposedly consequence-free health holy grail are the negative side effects including anxiety, dizziness and even a rising chance of dementia by 45%, revealing a dark side to its increase in popularity. Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash The popularity of these pills has gotten so out of hand that more and more of them are being produced, to the point where “unnecessary” harmful pills are being introduced into the market. Because Ozempic doesn't include any fitness effects such as improving brain health or strengthening bones, but rather only focuses on weight loss, other drugs have been developed to include these factors as well, such as the new “Exercise pill” scientifically known as Locamidazole. Pills such as this one are purely created to replicate the action of participating in sports, gaining muscular strength and lowering your risk of contracting a disease.
These pills, when not abused, could provide a valid opportunity for elderly and sick people to stay fit and become healthier and more mobile. They promise to reinforce muscles as well as bone strength with zero negative side effects on the surrounding tissue parts. Unfortunately, this promise is not foregrounded as these pills are being abused by thousands, threatening health challenges for clueless individuals seeking to lose weight, stay fit or grow stronger muscles, unaware of any side effects the pills may cause. Pills such as these are expanding rapidly and becoming more popular than ever. Even if eventually a side-effect free pill could be produced, this could be bad news as it would bring in a drastic, unwelcome change in society. The social benefits of sports would diminish, contributing to a more unsociable lifestyle for future generations. We would also arguably lose our resilience if we didn't need to work hard and overcome obstacles to achieve our health goals. So are we really willing to limit our human lives for a quick and temporary fix? There's a saying that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Maybe there's also no such thing as a magic pill that is free of consequences. Works Cited “4 Brain-Slowing Medications to Avoid If You’re Worried about Memory.” Better Health While Aging, 1 Oct. 2015, betterhealthwhileaging.net/medications-to-avoid-if-worried-about-memory/. “Could a Pill to Strengthen Muscle and Bone Replace Exercise?” Www.medicalnewstoday.com, 20 Sept. 2022, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/exercise-in-a-pill-scientists-identify-drug-that-mimics-effects-of-sports. Cox, David. “Could Exercise Pills Help Create a Healthier Society?” The Observer, 31 Dec. 2023, www.theguardian.com/science/2023/dec/31/could-exercise-pills-help-create-healthier-society-irisin-locamidazole. Accessed 2 Feb. 2024. “‘Exercise Pill’ Could Deliver Benefits of Fitness in Tablet Form.” The Guardian, 2 May 2017, www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/02/exercise-pill-could-deliver-benefits-of-fitness-in-tablet-form. Jha, Alok, and science correspondent. “Report Raises Ethical Concerns about Human Enhancement Technologies.” The Guardian, 7 Nov. 2012, www.theguardian.com/science/2012/nov/07/report-ethical-concerns-human-enhancement-technologies. Has the increased normalization of mental illness inadvertently become a key cause of teen mental health problems? By Laia Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash As humans we have been facing mental health problems for centuries, but we are yet to find the optimum solutions to properly battle this complex issue. 50 years ago, people who struggled with their mental health were shunned and ignored and often told that their problems were non-existent or irrational. Today, though we might tell ourselves we have reached the peak of fighting mental and emotional battles, 1 in every 8 people are faced with a mental disorder, and the statistics do not seem to be improving. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a large increase in online conversations surrounding mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and issues of self harm and eating disorders. These discussions have allowed for millions of people to come forward on internet platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and feel comfortable enough to disclose their personal battles. Looked at from another perspective, however, they have also sparked the spread of potentially harmful self-diagnosing culture and misinformation about what it means to struggle with mental illness. Psychologists have expressed concerns about how social media has left many teenagers diagnosing themselves with disorders, based on videos made by content creators. This is an unfortunate result of the normalization of medical terms in the average teenage vocabulary. It is not uncommon to hear people claim that they are feeling depressed when sad about the weather, or having anxiety when nervous about a test. Though statements like these may seem harmless, psychologists have stressed that the downplay of common mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety can have dangerous effects. 40% of Americans have been found to have self diagnosed with a mental illness online, even though studies have found that online diagnosis tests are only accurate one third of the time. Photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash Social media has also created a trend of glorifying mental and emotional problems and has begun to develop a mindset within teenagers that mental health problems are something desirable. An article by Big Think expresses that this mentality has come from a place of good intention by the creators wanting to destigmatize mental illnesses, but has taken a negative turn where mental health struggles are sometimes being downplayed. This is quickly becoming a dangerous problem, because it is leading young, impressionable minds to believe that they have a mental illness when they do not. It may also threatens the development and growth of those who truly are fighting a mental battle as it can take away their incentive to seek professional help and receive support. Having conversations about critical and relevant topics such as mental health is certainly important and could be a key way to minimize the mental health struggles of teens around the world. Nonetheless, there are limitations. There is a fine line between normalizating and sensationalizing - and the question can be asked as to whether are crossing this line at times. Our centuries-old struggle with mental illness has taken a new turn in the modern era and with new paths come new questions that need to be asked. Works cited: “‘Cyberchondria’: 40% of Americans Have Misdiagnosed Themselves Online.” Big Think, bigthink.com/health/self-diagnosis/. Becker, Raina. “Normalizing to Sensationalizing: The Evolution of Mental Health.” GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog, 28 Apr. 2023, www.goodtherapy.org/blog/normalizing-to-sensationalizing-the-evolution-of-mental-health/. Larsen, Valerie. “We Need to Stop Normalizing the Idea That Everyone Struggles with Mental Illnesses.” The Evanstonian, 24 Sept. 2020, www.evanstonian.net/opinion/2020/09/24/we-need-to-stop-normalizing-the-idea-that-everyone-struggles-with-mental-illnesses/. McVay, Ellen. “Social Media and Self-Diagnosis.” Www.hopkinsmedicine.org, 31 Aug. 2023, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2023/08/social-media-and-self-diagnosis#:~:text=Increasingly%2C%20mental%20health%20professionals%20observe. World Health Organization. “Mental Disorders.” World Health Organization, 8 June 2022, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders. We've all felt that effortless feeling of being in the zone. The questions are why does it feel so good and how can we tap into it more often? By Atharv Photo by Matt Hardy on Unsplash You know the feeling where work doesn’t feel like work? Where it whimsically flows and each action effortlessly follows through another. Where work feels like play. You’ve probably experienced this when you were so deeply ingrained in a task that it was the only thing that mattered. While running, I often find myself in a flow state where each step naturally follows the next and nothing else seems to matter. This is known as flow, considered the optimal state of being. Many of humanity’s breakthroughs have happened when people have been in flow. When Sam Altman and his team at OpenAI were coding ChatGpt; when Steven Jobs was designing the first ever Macintosh computer; when Albert Einstein finally figured out the theory of relativity. They were all harnessing the power of flow to pull off these seemingly superhuman feats that drove humanity forward. Who wouldn’t want to feel this way as often as possible? Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (pronounced: “MEE-hy CHEEK-sent-mee-HAH-yee”), known as the godfather of flow, extensively studied this state of flow. Csíkszentmihályi described flow as “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”. Flow is a paradox in the sense that time seems to stop as you don't notice it passing and yet you’re as immersed in time as it is possible to be. You’re truly present. This is deeply interconnected with mindfulness as multiple studies show the sheer importance of being present and in the moment. Flow allows for exactly this, along with heightened performance and awareness. Flow can occur in a wide range of activities, from sports to music to work. It is not a static state, but a dynamic one that requires the perfect balance between the level of skill and the level of challenge. When the level of skill is too high, anxiety and stress can occur, while when the level of skill reqiuired is too low, boredom and apathy can occur. Flow is the perfect middle ground. Csíkszentmihályi believed that slightly extending past your ability is the perfect way to cultivate flow, which links with the zone of proximal development. However, flow is increasingly harder to achieve in our distracting, multitasking modern world. The question now becomes: how can we achieve flow when we are constantly opening up new tabs or getting notifications pinged to our phones? To create an environment especially designed to cultivate flow, focus on making it easier for yourself to get into flow rather than indulging in less productive activities. This can be done by the use of friction in two different ways. Firstly, using flow as a deterrent where you create friction between you and the goal detracting behavior. For example, frequently checking social media while working; if the apps aren’t at your fingertips and you need to log in through a browser, this adds an extra step which creates a pause between the urge to check social media and the satisfaction of doing it. It’s like placing a small speed bump on a road where it’s not going to stop you, but it will make you slow down and think. We’ve seen how adding friction can be helpful but what about removing it? This can be done by removing the obstacles between you and the work you need to complete. If you work in a coffee shop, you have to first find the right coffee shop, go into the coffee shop, make sure there is a spare seat, open your laptop, connect to the WiFi, order a coffee, and then finally you can hit the keys and start the work. These little annoying bits of friction make it that much harder to actually work.
The key is to remove friction and use it as a catalyst to start working. A good option would be to always keep your computer open at your desk with your task list already ready from the night before where you only need to tap one key to get started. By thoughtfully controlling friction in our environment we can nudge our brains into encouraging the behaviors that fit with our goals and discouraging behaviors that block us from them. Writing this article was a flow experience in itself, a state where I was able to cultivate true focus from the mind. As Cal Newport states, “to remain valuable in our economy you must master the art of quickly learning complicated things. This task requires deep work. If you don’t cultivate this ability, you’re likely to fall behind as technology advances.” In other words, we need to be able to flow to get things done well. So, how will you make your own time to make time stop today? Getting an insider's look at working a doctor's shift at Hospital Privado - that was my aim for the MYP Personal Project and thanks to Dr. Mauro I got the chance to do just that. So, what did I learn about the day-to-day of a career in medicine? Reporting by Claire With a growing curiosity in the medical field I saw an opportunity in shadowing a doctor for my Personal Project. Already considering studying medicine in the future, the personal project helped me indulge in my passion and learn more about it. After having a hard time finding a local doctor to shadow, I consulted the school nurse, Ms. Ivandra for suggestions. She was able to put me in touch with Dr. Mauro working at a Private Hospital in Maputo. My day-long shadowing opportunity provided me with a view into the duties and responsibilities, patient care and public vs private health (specifically in Mozambique). Dr. Mauro is a doctor specialized in Otorhinolaryngology. After working as a general practitioner he did his specialization in ENT (ear, nose and throat). In Mozambique, there is a significant difference in Public and Private Health. Dr. Mauro has worked on and off in public health for 13 years and in the private sector for 9. Currently, he works at the Private Hospital in Maputo. The day started early at 8:30 with rounds in the hospital, where the doctor checks on their current patients. The doctor also spends time reviewing test results and making treatment plans with the medical team. During the day, the doctor may also perform procedures such as surgeries or diagnostic tests. Doctor Mauro had performed surgery on a child with tonsillitis the day before. During the 5 hours I spent at the hospital, I was able to observe 9 different patients all with different diagnoses, the theater, a post-op check-up, interaction with other doctors and an insight into the differences between Private and Public health in Mozambique. Shadowing Mr. Mauro provided a front-row seat to the delicate and often emotional interactions between medical professionals and their patients. I observed that the doctor must strike a balance between providing necessary information and offering comfort and support to patients and their families. Ranging from just a minor ear infection, to removing fungi within the ear, Dr. Mauro was able to aid each patient. One of my key observations made during the day was, when coming to a diagnosis, doctors also have to consider the patient's lifestyle. This means that the common social activities may be a contributing factor to their problem. They have to relate possible diagnoses to other events happening in people's lives. For example, in Mozambique it is extremely hot, leading to people swimming a lot. The majority of the diagnoses that I saw during the day were infections caused by the humidity (from swimming) in the ear. Being a doctor requires an extensive amount of knowledge not only in the medical field but also in other areas. After every diagnosis, he had to relate the problem back to the patient's lifestyle to see if there could be any changes made to benefit the patient. For example, one of the patients had an excessive amount of earwax in the ear canal. This was caused by the constant machines the patient was surrounded with. From the loud noise caused by the machines, her ears would create more and more wax to protect its canal. This led to severe ringing, lack of sleep and blocked ears. Coming to a diagnosis is almost like a mystery in a sense, where you try to unravel the case. 70% of all diagnoses with patients come from talking to them, according to Dr. Mauro. In addition to being informative, this shadowing experience was also humbling. I observed patients that suffer from pain caused by accidents, day-to-day difficult lives, etc. I saw how drastically the pain had changed people’s lives, from the loss of being able to work productivity to decreased physical activity. I witnessed Dr. Mauro’s passion for patient care put to work as he helped patient after patient regain control of their life and provide relief. Follow-up patients that praised him for their pain relief and improvements with their range of motion were inspiring and satisfying to see. During the experience, I noticed that a crucial element is the importance of teamwork in delivering quality medical care. The doctor works closely with nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
Being a doctor is not without its challenges, and shadowing highlights the heavy workload and long hours that many medical professionals face. Within Mozambique, there is a large struggle of under-staffing, low renumeration and lack of resources. Dr. Mauro mentioned that the reality of Mozambique is that you have to work hard and build yourself up to gain a sufficient amount of money. The doctor must also navigate complex ethical and legal issues, such as patient privacy and informed consent. Shadowing a doctor for a day offers a valuable learning experience for anyone interested in pursuing a career in medicine. It provided me with a behind-the-scenes look at the daily duties and challenges faced by medical professionals and highlighted for me the crucial role of doctors in our society. This experience only served to strengthen my decision to pursue a career in medicine. |
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