2012/08/21

8/18 課堂筆記 Aliens vs. Robots

Concluding statements:
Today we talked about professionalism, the first thing that came to mind is related to doctors.  In addition to being a music educator, I’m also working on projects related to medical ethics, so this really interests me.  I think there's a lot to talk about in medical ethics, how we train doctors to become empathic to human beings, and also not to lost professionalism, when they are treating a patient, and trying to communicate with them.  But from working on these projects, I find it's hard to teach ethics, in a widely accepted way.  And so this topic becomes quite interesting.  But I deeply believe that, being a doctor, since I work with a lot of doctors, and try to help them, and as a research assistant try to help them build medical ethics, I think a professional doctor, it's not mutually exclusive to be a good doctor and a good person.  And sometimes, it's interesting to see how doctors from older generations, in their time there were no medical ethics, in fact, but they were great doctors, and they care about their patients as much as young doctors do, even though the were not taught medical ethics, they just do things based on their experience.  So I think, yes we should teach this, but it's also not something you teach, you just expect doctors to be this way.  We should carefully select those who want to dedicate their lives to medical practice.  It's the person that makes him or her be a good doctor. 
I was thinking about a high school friend.  He used to be a very smart person, in 7th grade, he was one year younger than us because he skipped ahead.  He was a genius and he always ranked at the top, and in 9th grade he skipped again, and then got into medical school.  Lots of people go to medical school if they have high grades.   But he didn't become successful like I thought, he turned out to not really become a doctor in the end.  He said he was not perfect for it.  He liked medicine, but he felt he was not suitable for it.  So he studied neuroscience, to be a researcher instead of a doctor.  He's in medicine, but not treating patients. I would say he's a very professional person.  It's kind of that he was professional, to choose what he knew he was suited for. But it still kind of surprises me.

It seems to me that everything I said today related to not trusting professionals, so I will continue in this vein.   Well, I tend to think that the empathy thing, or being caring of 
somebody is a gift, it's a personality rather than something we can learn from.  So this is why we need some training, or some professional courses to teach those who want to specialize in some field, the skills to care about patients, there are lots of protocols you have to do to become a successful professional.  I prefer to think that sometimes we have to give the chance to those so-called professionals, as a client or as ordinarily people, to give them a chance to express themselves, because they are expected to be professional, so they act like that, but if somebody discusses with them to a certain extent, they're free from their boxes and talk more with you.  I tend to think this professional thing is a structural thing.  It's the professional themself to want to express like a professional, it's society that expects them to, so maybe we can give them some chance, and be critical when we communicate with them.
And the other thing I want to talk about is ethical thing.  Recently there was some news about the nurses in a Hualien hospital.  They don't get any breaks over a very long time, because they are short of nurses there.  There are arguments saying they should hands on because there are more important things to do, looking after patients.  So they put this 'professional' argument on teachers, nurses, doctors, and say  'you have to do these things' but the truth is, it doesn't make things better.     So we should be critical about the scope of being a professional, and not just use it as an argument to tell them what to do.
An excuse to impose an extra unreasonable burden, on them.

Discussion notes:
What is professional?
Dressed appropriately
Dress codes, dark colors
Give conservative estimates, leave ambiguity.
Speak neutrally, avoid offence or misleading
Expected to be perfect
Able to think ahead, prepared for questions or to make estimates
Trained in specific skills, given professional knowledge e.g. Case studies
Can claim a certain level of expertise and experience

What is an amateur?
Not expected to be perfect
Not experienced enough to be prepared/make estimates

What's the difference between professional and amateur athletes?
Have different goals
Amateurs train less, not expected to do extra training
Professional expected to be more completely dedicated
More intense expectations of the prof
Professional get paid an amateurs don't

Amateurs have more freedom to do what they want.
Professional can only do client's wishes
Professional is responsible for consequences, "they're the professional"

What are the advantages to being professional?
Making more money
Reputation = getting more clients
Able to do things more effectively and efficiently.  (have the training and experience)

Disadvantages?
Licensing fees
Costs money to maintain standard of knowledge, conferences seminars workshops books networking etc.
Expectation to perform well at all times
You're responsible when things go wrong.
'Professional' knowledge may prevent from seeing real conditions on the ground, and not really respond to the real needs.

Is there a difference between 'ethically professional' and
'Coldly professional'?
'Ethically' meaning: try do to best job possible including ground-up knowledge and feedback
'Coldly'  letter-of-the law approach

Criticism of Tonee Ndungu's presentation:
Said a lot of nonsense, joking around
He didn't seem to have a main topic
Not focused on his topic
Didn't reward a close listening
No connection and structure in his slides

Is there a connection between having a 'professional face' and the people who walk around Taipei looking unhappy?
Linked to credibility, should take things seriously

Is it professional or not to cry when a client tells you tragic story?
Show it affects you but don't cry
Professionalism is about controlling emotions to appropriate expression.
Emotional expression is sometimes a burden on other people, and sometimes it's the most respectful thing.

Aliens vs. robots:
Anything you identify with?
Robots are the ideal worker in Taiwan, this is what employers want.
Not just in Taiwan!
Aliens seem like troublemakers.   If this kind of person is your friend, you end up taking care of them.  They're interesting, funny, but troublemakers

It's about deciding to conform to social stereotypes, or what's acceptable, it's why he says it's a fight with yourself

Fight against somebody = that person is wrong and bad
Fight with somebody = equal adversary, probably of worth

When does being a person interfere with being a professional?
When does being a professional interfere with being a person?
Is it possible to be both?
Insurance centers are supposed to be about helping people minimize risk, but do they really do this?  The services that the agent provide, are they genuine or about closing the deal?
Genuinely in a position to help somebody.
Using the position to emotionally manipulate the client

Lots of time things are done with good intention, but lead to disaster.   Often good intentions can go wrong.  So professionalism is about creating a protocol to minimize damage.

The nurse in the example who got too close to the psychiatric patient did it out of her good will, but maybe creating a bad effect, and so who is responsible for this?

"the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Medical ethics
Doctors expected to professional, neutral, talk about consequences and bad outcomes.
Now also expected to be more 'human' - important to discuss the treatment with patient before implementation.
Doctor's responsibility to make patient understand, and have full, informed consent of patient

It's an art based on experience!

Empathy
Can you train for it?
How much is professional?

It's not an experience thing…the younger doctors are more enthusiastic, and they have to listen more, and discuss more, and consult people like the nurses, instead of making

It's about attitude:  because of experience may be overlook important things, subtle changes, important factors, rely too much on experience.
A rookie doctor might pay more attention to that.
Or miss it because they didn't know what it was


The snobbishness and hubris of professionals

Line between someone seeking attention and truly needing attention.

The rookie doctors and experienced doctors are all professionals.  And experience is not always a good thing, it can jeopardize something.

So maybe real professionalism is remaining open to new ideas and input no matter what level of experience you have.

Remaining humble is important for good ethics

Related to power of embarrassment, being good at something includes being humble, consulting others, asking opinions, suggestions etc.

Lowering yourself to communication with patients is an act of being humble.   To try to empathies with their pain.