Most People Are Missing Ophthalmology

After the dentist, I don't fancy ENT specialty. For two reasons.

1- The diseases of ENT are not self-visualizable nor self-examinable.

When I was studying Ophthalmology, I can wake up in the morning and stare at my own eyes in the mirror and assure myself I at least have a normal anterior segment of the eye and that those pathological pictures are not present in me.

But with ENT, I can examine my own tonsils but that's about it. How am I supposed to check my own ear drum??

2- I had bad history with the equipments, namely the flexible laryngoscope.

A hospital leaflet for patients actually described this thing as "black skinny spaghetti", urgh. Food analogies are the reason for anorexia.

It was during primary school (eight or nine years old, I think) and I had recurrent nose-bleed so one day dad took me to the hospital to get myself checked. The doctor sat in front of me and inserted a flexible laryngoscope into my nose.

It made through a bit and I believe I relayed my discomfort, but of course dad and the doctor assured me that it will be just fine.

But then I got really agitated and since I couldn't get him to stop by being vocal about it, I kicked the doctor. I wouldn't allow the doctor to come near me with a ten-foot pole so dad apologized to the doctor (he was dad's colleague), he wrote me an MC and dad took me home.

We did meet the doctor at the following Raya celebration, but I never went to see an ENT specialist ever in my life after that. The thoughts of them make me cringe.

Until a month ago, I accompanied a friend for an examination (otomycosis; treatment by removal of the fungal mass by ear wash and four days on anti-fungal ear drops) and there I was cringing on the chair as Dr. Mohammed gave her an ear wash. And then we have this ENT round of course, which is inevitable.

---

Our doctors are awesome lecturers and alhamdulillah I have no problem understanding the lectures.

When it comes to our clinical sessions, my group is blessed with a lot of patients. We had eight patients already in the two days of clinical session (including a rare case of active advanced rhinoscleroma which Dr. Mahmoud said was his first in forty years) but the examination process of running an endoscope through the patient's ear/nose/mouth gave me equal chill as it gave the patient. I curse my empathy.

It took every ounce of willpower not to bolt out of the class.