Alex Portelli and Muhaiyo Bartolo Khodjayeva tell Veronica Stivala that being a doctor is challenging and the work can be overwhelming but nothing beats the feeling of being able to make a difference.

Alex Portelli MD

Dr Portelli, 49, is a specialist in family medicine and has been practising as a doctor for 26 years. He spent eight years at the emergency department in St Luke’s Hospital before leaving to work in a private hospital.

Why did you pursue a career in medicine?

I believe doctors are a special breed of people with an overwhelming desire to help others. It has always been this vocation that drives me to attempt to help people through their various illnesses and health problems. As a doctor I feel that each encounter with a fellow human allows me to change that person’s life for the better.

Admittedly this is not always achieved easily or immediately for a number of reasons which might not be under one’s control. But patients should and usually do understand that doctors have their best interest at heart, not only because we take an oath to this effect, but also because it is built into our character and personality.

Does the medical profession run in the family?

My father is a pharmacist and my mother was a nurse. This might have had some influence when I came to choose my career. I have two younger brothers who are both medical doctors and an elder brother who is a veterinary surgeon.

What are the challenges of the medical profession?

Compared to other professions, I feel that being a medical doctor can be very challenging. The hours can be overwhelming, erratic, and tiring. The pressures of work are not easily controllable, patient numbers are unpredictable, and some clinical situations are very emotional, especially when a life is under threat or a patient’s demands are unfulfilled for any reason.

One learns to deal with stress, empathise with patients, think logically and try to simplify situations to reach a reasonable conclusion. It can be one hard slog. What keeps me going is not the salary or glory, but the satisfaction that you have somehow managed to make a difference to someone’s health and life. A simple thank you or a smile can make my day.

What is the best thing about being a doctor?

There is pleasure in helping people overcome any health problem that they might be facing, from a simple cold to a life-threatening heart attack. I feel privileged to be in a position where my diagnosis and management can alter the course of a patient’s life for the better.

Do you plan to specialise?

A doctor never stops studying – medicine changes all the time and one has to stay abreast of new developments. There are some aspects of medicine which are close to my heart – acute medicine, infection control and health management are all issues which I would like to develop further.

What advice do you have for anyone thinking of becoming a doctor?

If one has this desire to help others through their illnesses, then there is no profession as noble as being a medical doctor. If it is fame, glory and monetary gain that drives one’s choice, then my advice is to look elsewhere. The life of a medical doctor is not an easy one, but with the right motivation and God’s help the rewards can be very satisfying.

Muhaiyo Bartolo Khodjayeva, MD

Dr Bartolo Khodjayeva, 28, has been a doctor for six years.

Why did you pursue a career in medicine?

I have always been fascinated by the way the human body works. An adult body is made up of around seven octillion atoms. Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute and an adult produces 300 billion new cells every day. Isn’t that amazing?

Anatomy and physiology were one of the main reasons why I became a doctor. Once I started medical school and began visiting hospitals, I felt that I have the ability to help save lives and improve a patient’s health and this gave me great satisfaction.

Does the medical profession run in the family?

All my family members chose different careers as we were taught that if we chose a job we love, we would never have to work a day in our lives.

What are the challenges of the medical profession?

The biggest challenge is continuous learning and the processing of data as we receive huge amounts of information every day.

Teaching patients about medicine is another challenge. Good doctors need to remember that their calling is not only to teach themselves and their colleagues – it is also their duty to teach their patients. Breast cancer awareness is the best example where we have educated our patients to detect the disease in its early stages by recurrent self-examination.

Maltese women are the second most obese in Europe and about 10 per cent of our population suffers from diabetes, making our rates one of the highest in Europe. The challenge is to convince people to start taking care of their health – that they need to go out and exercise, watch what they are eating and drinking. We don’t have any magic pill that can fix everything.

What is the best thing about being a doctor?

There is a great feeling in being able to make a difference.

Do you plan to specialise?

I would certainly like to continue my medical specialisation. One area I am really interested in is emergency medicine and plastic surgery.

What advice do you have for anyone thinking of becoming a doctor?

You need to have the academic qualifications, passion and compassion for serving the needs of others. Find out if medicine is what makes you happy, and if it does, follow that career path and you will succeed.

Going to medical school because you don’t know what else to do after college is never a good idea. Go out into the working world and find out what you might want to do, then decide whether medical school is the right choice.