The ‘Boss’ Professor

 

In most colleges, the senior students are respected by their juniors. Sometimes this respect is carried forward even when they have finished college and started their respective jobs and careers.

In medical colleges of Rajasthan, India, the senior students are respectfully called as ‘boss’ by their juniors. This persists even when they have finished their medical education and become renowned doctors in their own right.

One medical officer working in a government hospital from the rural area was sent for a refresher course in CPR (cardiopulmonary-resuscitation) and advanced Medical treatment to the Regional Medical College. The Medical Officer (MO) attending this training program was delighted when one of his senior from his medical college days turned up as the training faculty member, whom he had lost touch with after finishing his medical education. The MO was quite friendly with his senior in their college period and he fondly recalled those memories on seeing him.

When the lecture was underway, the MO had some doubts. Interrupting the lecture, the medical officer (MO) asked the professor, ‘Boss, what about this condition…?’ The professor looked angrily at the interrupting MO and waved with his hand to keep quiet.

After doing his MBBS while the junior doctor had languished in a government job as a medical officer, his senior had done specialization in Internal Medicine and had risen rapidly in the medical field and became Professor of Medicine in the medical college. Unknown to him his senior had also developed the poise, grace, and reserved dignified behavior, suitable for a Professor and senior doctor. Additionally, he had developed a very strong distaste for the word ‘boss.’ When out of habit if any of his junior doctors used the word ‘boss’ while referring to their senior colleagues in front of him, he used to immediately reprimand them saying, ‘are you in a criminal gang that you are calling him boss?’

The MO had committed the double sin of interrupting him while he was speaking and addressed him as ‘Boss’ in front of so many people. The MO didn’t quite understand the situation, felt confused at his senior’s response to his query but yet kept quiet that time. After some time, he again had some doubt and again he interrupted his senior, who was now the Professor, ‘Boss, you have still not clarified my doubt.’

The patience of the professor was now at a bursting point. With a sarcastic tone he replied, ‘Boss, I will clear all your doubts at the end of the lecture.’ For a senior to call his junior ‘Boss’ was almost sacrilege. The medical officer now realized that things are not the same as they were when they both were medical students in the same college.

He kept quiet for the rest of the lecture and afterward he addressed his former senior as ‘Doctor’ and ‘Sir’ which he noticed that others were doing.

Tip: It is never a good idea to interrupt a lecture or presentation in between. The presenter may cover your doubt later in the lecture making your interruption superfluous. At the least, his ‘flow’ will get interrupted and the rest of the audience may think that you are wasting their time. It is better to make a note on a paper and ask any doubt or questions at the end of the presentation or lecture. This is especially true when the presenter is senior to you by position or designation.

Tip: More importantly, when meeting with your former friends, batchmates, seniors from your school and college times, don’t expect them to behave the same way they used to behave in the past. Keep in mind your relative present position and behave suitably. If and only if your old friend behaves informally like he used to in the past, that you can think of relaxing around him. But even then be very careful, stay in the limit as your past friend but presently your superior can suddenly starting acting like your chief and may take offense at your informal behavior. Never forgive your relative positions. Boss is always boss no matter what was your past relationship.

 NB: This does not apply to my school and college friends. They are all welcome with the same informality of the past school and college days.

— ND

(Based on an allegedly true incident.)

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DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board norms.