Following joke came up in a discussion with my friend about the differences in the kind of jobs we do in software industry. We were just trying to compare ‘engineering’ with ‘mechanic’ job. The joke is just a small extract from the discussion between a doctor and a mechanic.
Mechanic: Doc, I believe we are doing similar job of fixing problems, but you seem to be earning more and also are being respected more? I just don’t get the reason behind.
Doctor: Buddy, what do you do when you have to repair a car engine?
Mechanic: Hmm, we just get the car to the garage, switch off the engine, dismantle all the required components and then repair the problem area.
Doctor: Nice, what else do you do. Is that as simple as that?
Mechanic: Well, it’s not just that. Sometimes we may need to replace the components, sometimes may have to live with the faulty components for various reasons; not replacing the components means that we have to get it fixed. That sometimes involves shipping the components to a different place and get it rectified or stuff like that.
Doctor: Great, now let me come to my business. When I have to fix issues, I just can’t switch of the engine like you. The machines I deal with can’t be switched off just like that, never sometimes. And I just can’t dismantle the components off the settings if they are blocking access to the problem area, I just can’t do that almost 99.9% of the times!
Mechanic: Interesting.
Doctor: The machines I deal with can cry, shout or even punish me if I am not handling it properly; a small scratch by mistake or things like that could damage the machines I deal with and spoil my reputation once for all. Are you getting the picture now and get the point why I am earning more and are being respected more?!!!!
Mechanic: Hmm, looks like I need to think more about this and then talk to you.
- Conversation ends –
I am writing this blog from my medical vacation after a very brief encounter with the reality. Well, one morning I got severe (intolerable) stomach pain that pushed me to a nearby multi specialty hospital. Happening then are as usual, you get into the emergency admission, then pain killers and diagnosis; no big deal about it. Once the diagnosis is over, then you are told that you may have to undergo a slightly complicated procedure to get rid of the problem.
Here comes the difference in thought or the realization of the reality, especially for engineers. Things that look so simple and obvious to solve from a technical/logical standpoint of an engineer are just impossible yet in the medical world. Confrontation with the reality!
For example, you are told that a foreign object of some size seems to be seen in a place where the size of the object is not acceptable leading to pain, but if it is broken apart then the body can heal itself on its own. Great, then why can’t just send a light or sound signal and just break apart that stuff to end the game. But the reality is not simple as we think. Technology hasn't advanced to that extent yet; first there still seem to be difficulties in finding out the location and size of the foreign objects in the human body, of course without any long term implications that is of a greater magnitude than the gains in the short run. Second, even if we know what that is and how it is, it is not easy to deal with it from outside without damaging the parts in and around the foreign body; in the short as well as long run.
Technologies we have right now are still more invasive even though it is of lesser magnitude than the past. The motivation behind this writing is a comment from one of my IT consultant friends who met me in the hospital and was wondering why can’t we apply the same technique as we would be doing like blowing external pressure from outside access points to free up blocks in water pipes and things like that. My friends, it’s not as easy as we think. So better start listening to folks who talk about long term damage & stuff and try to concentrate on your life style, have proper healthy food, proper sleep, exercise, so on and so forth to avoid surprises in the future. If you think we can fix anything and everything easily because of the advancements in the medical science, then this is a wakeup call.
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