Reply To: Overcoming challenges of facing death and emotional pain as a doctor.

[Gabriel Baluyut]

I’ve faced a lot of patients death before, and been involved in unsuccessful resuscitations, and even had the chance to cover the body and also check the body with a consultant – before the body was cremated.

Weirdly, the situation of seeing a dead person was not as bad for me. Only because in the Philippines, we have a tradition that when one of our family members die, we bring their coffin to our house for a few weeks to pay our respects and say our goodbyes, so this somehow normalised it for me (as I’ve attended a few of those).

Although, the most painful deaths are the ones where I got to know the patient and their family, or when the patient is very young. I’m always able to overcome the fear of being in the situation, but I don’t think I’ll ever overcome the pain in those type of situations. Nothing can ever prepare you for it. If you think you’re prepared, you aren’t – because when it happens, it’ll hit you. 🥺