The Fifth Dimension

Somewhere in between starting my new job, shifting house, entertaining guests and babysitting Jason’s niece and nephews, the month of August has flown by. Yes, there are days when time inches by, Fridays being the prime culprit, but ninety-nine percent of my days finish before I can wrap my head around them. It’s an interesting phenomenon. Not so much the time factor, but my place within it. In that I’m speaking of being a female GP in Hamilton. I know I’ve mentioned it several times, but will reiterate it here, female GPs are like “hen’s teeth”, more precious then gold. I guess patients think women will be more sympathetic to their problems, are more comfortable having them perform exams, or handling their children. The irony is that a majority of the concerns they present with I honestly have no first hand knowledge of. I have not been pregnant, I do not have children, and I certainly have not gone through menopause. However, by the genetic process of possessing double X chromosomes, I somehow “know” about these problems. Please don’t misinterpret, I am not complaining in any way. It’s actually given me the drive for self-learning in the hopes of being more empathetic. It’s also made me realize that getting older is no smooth ride. There are days I look at the five year old child who walks into my consultation room and think, “Wouldn’t it be great to be five again and find a piece of chalk and a blackboard the greatest toys in the world?” Instead, I’m faced with the anxiety of updating my CV and writing a cover letter in my attempts at finding a new job in the states. Yet, with all that anxiety comes the excitement and almost childhood pleasure at the prospect of starting something new, showing Jason the country in which I grew up, and moving forward with my life. It’s this addition of emotion and abstract thought that really differentiates me from that five year old child. Knowing I can use this added dimension to understand and empathize with patient concerns is what comes with age, regardless of gender. For in the end, we all just want to be understood.