On the Malignant Teachers

We all lived as a student at some point in our lives. Like it or not, we lived through homeworks and exams and sleeping in classes. And I'm pretty sure most of us have been at some point during our lives as students expect to be perfect. We wanted to score the top in our classes, we frown and groan in despair whenever we flunk in our exams, we sulk for days being scolded by our teachers. I understand that our expectations are meant to help us get better, but sometimes, I guess we just have to accept we're not always perfect.

I told him that I'm afraid of all those lecturers who scold you in front of everybody else if you were not able to answer their questions instantly. Yes we're suppose to know all the answers to all these basic questions at our fingertips. And we're supposed to know everything and anything and we're supposed to live and sleep in the ward and know all about the patients and their cases at the back of our hands, even better than the housemans. And more often than not, I always sulked for daaaaaaysss if I had a bad day. To the extend that even the group members thought I had some problem.

I'm not the type who would be able to get over a sarcastic verbal assault easily. Even if I've already accepted that I was wrong for forgetting what I studied for the past 2 years, there'll always be a mark left from the slash of their tongues. The cut was deeper than anything else. The embarrassment of failing to answer their questions in front of even just 9 other people was enough to turn my smiles upside down, now let alone the verbal stab in front of 39 other colleagues in the lecture hall.

I don't get why some lecturers need to be so hard on their students. Scolding them and embarrassing them and making them feel as if they're not even worth the dirt on the street. Fine, they might have successfully made themselves as the fearsome lecturers, known to their students as the malignant doctors. But couldn't they at least be 'gentle' with their students? I don't see the point of raising their voices at puzzled and clueless adults. We're not exactly 8 year old who are scared of being hit by canes. We're adults for heaven's sake. We know where we are and we know what we should do. But to have us feel useless all the time? Does it make them feel they're superior? Okay, it served the point. They'll become notorious alright. But does it make them favorable?

Not to me for sure. Yes I'll remember them, but what would be the difference when I say, they're fierce and they scold you like crazy, compared to another who treat you like an adult and explain to you nicely. He said they're actually just downgrading themselves. That I mustn't sulk over days because of it. That I should actually just laugh it off and pick myself up and continue walking. I see his point. Maybe I should learn to say "Thank you" in front of these people at the end of the class. Not out of sarcasm, but actually a form of gratitude. For making me stronger and more "thick-faced". LOL

So yeah... I think I should do that. If I ever have the nerve to.

And nope, I have yet to sulk for days because of such incidence since the start of my surgery posting. But I have no idea what the coming 8 weeks would be like. After all, of the 5 lecturers we'll be having, 4 are malignants. It's going to be a tough posting alright. Wish me luck...