Patient harm is a considerable cause of global disease burden; much more than diseases like malaria and tuberculosis that have a lot of national and international funding and emphasis. In my time as a medical student, and now as a resident, I have seen a lot of patient have an adverse outcome due to an avoidable error. Over the past year, based on my experiences, I have developed a strong inclination towards patient safety and quality improvement. As a second year resident, I trained in high value care and want to use my knowledge in ensuring a safe environment for patients without adding significantly to the healthcare costs.
Healthcare, unfortunately, has become a lot more complicated than it was a few years ago. With my interest in oncology, I see the positive evolution of medicine along with its complications like increase in costs, and lack of education about new drugs. And that is why, out of so many areas to choose from, I plan to focus on improving patient safety without increasing costs, and improving education, which includes documentation and handoffs. Patient safety is associated with lesser complications and decrease length of stay, which will help the hospitals and patients alike.
In the future, I see myself as an academic oncologist with interest in healthcare economics and patient safety, helping to make the hospital an affordable and a safe place for patients, which, in my opinion, will help to make healthcare more accessible to people.