Money, dollars, bills - those green pieces of paper with numbers and faces on them, are what's on everyone's mind these days, especially in the healthcare field. With the so-called economic crisis, resources are scarce in the medical community. I've heard many stories concerning the use of the emergency room as a way for patients to get over-the-counter meds, but I have never experienced it myself until my clinical preceptorships at the ED (emergency department). Now I realize how hard it is to be non-judgemental.

Many times I would see patients come in for conditions such as a common cold and ask to be prescribed tylenol or motrin. They would wait many hours in the waiting room with a fever and a cough, and use up not only medical resources but also their own precious time. When doing social histories, I'd ask patients whether they smoke or use alcohol. Oftentimes the answer to both is yes. With a pack of cigarettes costing $4 and alcohol being on a range of prices, people can end up spending a lot on these two amenities many consider essential in life. Being a non-smoker myself, I sometimes find it hard to be non-judgemental, for patients would spend on cigarettes yet not for medication for their condition.

After many such encounters, I talked with one of my preceptors about the situation. He responded that I can't be judgmental; if I grew up in similar situations as the patients, then the patient might be the 2nd-year medical student and I could be the smoker and alcoholic. I realized the importance of education, and what "don't judge the book by its cover" truly meant. With the healthcare in great need of reform, more attention should be placed on implementing earlier education in schools. Instead of the majority of attention being focused on where funds should be allocated or how to better manage the ED, funding should be placed in sexual education, health courses, and lifestyle-related courses in middle and high schools.

I don't know if what I'm advising is doable or valid, but I feel like it would be a step in the right direction in solving the healthcare crisis we are facing. Although this is easier said than done, with more attention placed in this field, perhaps we can shift our attention to better, more feasbile, and smarter methods in solving the education crisis.