The essence of care is cosmopolitan

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Yan Nascimento da Silva is a second-year medical student at the Federal University of Ceara in Sobral, Brazil. He is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

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Health care practiced at home is comfortable and achievable by most health professionals. However, the place of performance does not define the level of zeal for the well-being of the patient, nor the achievement of satisfactory care. The essence of caring transcends physical barriers, not limited to a hospital, state or country. It’s universal, it’s cosmopolitan. Likewise, it has been the development of medical practices over the years since Ayurvedic Medicine (Indiana), beginning 6000 years ago, with two most famous schools, Charaka and Sushruta. According to Charaka, health and disease are not predetermined and life can be prolonged by human effort. Already the Sushruta school defines as the purpose of medicine to cure the sick, protect the healthy and prolong life. Until the 21st century with telemedicine, robotic medicine and 3D printers. The contribution to medicine was not only one culture, but all cultures. The expected return is the formation of a cosmopolitan professional whose essence is the union of knowledge. Nevertheless, their use in the social field, applying the principle of humanization, that is, breaking the ideological wall of the representation of the lab coat, moving from being “hierarchical” to being only the object of biosecurity. Within this humanization, the patient should feel good, placing his trust in the health professional and thus building a solid doctor-patient relationship that will facilitate a richer history with information generating accurate diagnoses. This change arises from the need for the physician and the patient to want  links that go beyond a single consultation or a five-minute conversation, but with time follow-ups that allow for more accurate and appropriate diagnoses and treatments. ¹ In short, the physician in Iraq’s war zones, in the tropical forests of the Latin American Amazon, in vessels of international waters and in his homeland, must maintain his essence of care, empathy, concern for the welfare of the your patient. It is this desire to take care of the human being that is the source of the various medicines (Allopathic, Alternative and Complementary), in addition to Traditional Medicine². Should the baggage of being be carried beyond the physical borders of your country, is medicine cosmopolitan, is the health professional ready to be? References ¹ LOPES, ANTONIO CARLOS. Doctor-patient relationship: humanization is fundamental. “Acorda Pará” Newspaper. 05/11/2011 Available from : http://www.sbcm.org.br/v2/index.php/artigo/2038-relacao-medico-paciente-humanizacao-e-fundamental Access in 07/21/2019 ² CARVALHO, PAULA. Reflecting Medicine vs Medicines. Messenger Journal of Bragança. Health and wellness. Bragança, Brazil. Available from https://pt.calameo.com/read/0029896506cbdb7df92d6 Access in 07/22/2019 About the author Yan Nascimento da Silva is a second-year medical student at the Federal University of Ceara in Sobral, Brazil. He serves as an Local Exchange Officer (LEO) of Standing Committee on Professional Exchange (SCOPE) of IFMSA-Brazil. He also serves as active member of Sobral Plastic Surgery Academic League and student affairs’ coordinator of the Student Union and volunteer of Brazilian Red Cross. His aim is to combine graduation with scientific development and philanthropy, forming a doctor who acts on science while not forgetting the love of neighbor.