It's been over 6 months since my last post, but 6 is my lucky number. I used to be a big believer in Numerology. When I was in high school I devoured books by Cheiro and Linda Goodman on the subject. Since I was born on the 6th of October these authors claimed that my lucky number is 6 ,and so I've spent a lot of time and energy in ensuring that any important event I planned fell on the 6th, 15th or 24th of the month ( so that the digits added up to 6).In the beginning I noticed that things did appear to go 'smoother' for me when I did this. I felt luckier on these dates and so I would be more confident. It was as if the Universe had my back on these days when the day was ruled by the Venusian number 6, and so I had nothing to worry about. I felt like I had stumbled upon a great secret that would give me an edge over others and bring me fame, fortune (and women) if I used it properly and so I bought more books on the subject and studied it in greater detail.
As a doctor I find it difficult to embrace the idea of being an ' Imperfectionist'. A doctor can't afford to have low standards, a doctor can't afford to make mistakes. A doctor has to be perfect. If there is any profession on the planet that demands perfectionism then surely it's medicine. It's thoughts like these that have prevented me from practicing clinical medicine all these years. A part of me knew that I would never be able to live up to my own extreme standards, and so I decided to become an epidemiologist instead of a clinician. If I make a mistake as an epidemiologist, it stays on paper. No one dies or gets hurt. Some may commend this kind of thinking, but looking back I see how foolish it is. What if all doctors thought like me? No one would practice medicine! Yes, it's important to have high standards and do your best, especially if you're a doctor and that's why it's so critical that doctors DO NOT become perfectionists. I