Change the Locks

 

When Dr. Dev (Fictional Name) joined as Senior Resident in the Department of Surgery in AIIMS, New Delhi, he learned that the consultant of the Unit had a unique protocol.

Whenever someone left the unit, either passed out of AIIMS or transferred to a different unit, instead of asking the doctor to deposit back the key to the Unit’s duty room (common room), he just gets the lock of the door changed and then distributes extra keys to all the present unit doctors. So even if the old unit doctor had an extra key to the common room, it becomes useless. And this was followed regardless of the leaving doctor’s post or designation, honesty or integrity level.

Why I am remembering this or sharing this with you now? I came across an interesting news article some time ago. In the Covid-19 era, many employees were laid off and fired from their job. Jobless with no income, some had sold the username, employees ID, passwords, login details of the organization they were working previously on the dark web to make some fast and easy money. This had left these organizations vulnerable to hacking attacks causing them losses and disruption of services.

Now if these organizations had put in a protocol, similar to that of the AIIMS surgery department’s consultant, that as soon as someone had left their company, regardless of their post, honesty or integrity level, all login ID, username, passwords, security protocols, etc., are to be routinely changed immediately, they could have avoided the damage done to them.

Not only in the corporate world and professional life but also in your personal life make it a point to routinely change all your locks, passwords, pattern lock, username, login ID, etc., whenever someone leaves you, such as your guest, tenants, spouse, partner, boyfriend or girlfriend and avoid unnecessary problems and complications.

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incidents.)

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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.

The Nonchalant Observant Walk

 

Dr. Dev’s (Fictional Name) friend came to meet him at the hospital. While walking from the Out Patient Department (OPD) to the surgical ward, his friend noticed that Dr. Dev was walking nonchalantly, to all appearances oblivious to the people walking around them. When they neared the ward’s gate, the security person standing there greeted Dr. Dev. Instantly, Dr. Dev turned around and greeted the security guard in return. Dr. Dev’s friend was surprised.

When they were sitting in Dr. Dev’s chamber/office, the friend could not control himself and asked about’s Dr. Dev’s strange demeanor. 

‘Dev’, he said, ‘When you were walking you were watching straight ahead and appeared lost in your thought and not aware of anyone around you. But when the guard greeted you, not only you noticed his greeting and but instantaneously returned his greeting.’ ‘What is the meaning of this strange behavior?’ demanded his friend.

Dr. Dev replied, ‘It is a convention that usually the juniors or the lower designation staff members first greet their seniors and then senior respond in kind. With my high designation, I am senior to most of the people I pass by while walking down the corridors in the hospital. Now if some junior does not greet me even we notice each other while walking this is embarrassing for me.’

‘It may be not that the junior feel any disrespect towards me,’ further explained Dr. Dev, ‘it may be just that he/she does not believe in exchanging pleasantries with their superiors, they might be just shy, or in this Covid times, they may not recognize me with the mask. I walk as if lost I my own world unaware of people moving around me so that if someone does not greet me both of us can pretend that we did not notice each other and save each other some awkwardness.’

‘Now for the second part of your question,’ continued Dr. Dev, ‘While I was a student and junior resident in AIIMS, New Delhi, whenever I used to see my teachers and faculty members in the corridors, I used to greet them. Some faculty members do use to acknowledge my greeting warmly but many used to give just a perfunctory nod and there were some who never noticed my greeting them. They were lost in their own high world or thought it is beneath their status to respond to a lowly student or junior resident.’

‘As a student and junior resident I used to feel hurt when I greeted a faculty member but they did not acknowledge back. Now that I am a senior faculty member I make it a point to keep a watch out of the corner of my eye if anyone is greeting me and try to always acknowledge and greet them in return’ clarified Dr. Dev.

Do not let your ego be hurt if someone does not greet you.

Never hurt someone’s feelings by not acknowledging and returning their greeting no matter how senior you become.

You can read an example of a junior not greeting his Professor and the response of the Professor here https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/search/label/Dr.%20S.N.%20Wadhwa

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incidents.)

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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.

The James Bond Shower

 

You may not drive a car like James Bond, or play cards and win in a casino like him, or defeat multiple assailants in unarmed combat, and definitely may not be able to save the world umpteen times like him, but you can still have a shower like him. 

To the ignorant, the ‘James Bond Shower’ or ‘Scottish Shower’ starts by showering with water at a temperature as hot as you can tolerate and then shutting down the hot water so that the water temperature now becomes icy cold and then staying at least 1-3 minutes under this cascading icy cold water.

Although there do not appear to be any strong scientific studies, people claim that this ‘James Bond Shower’ has multiple benefits. Some of the benefits claimed may be due to the hot water shower first leading to increase circulation by dilatation of the blood vessels in the skins and peripheral parts of the body and then the cold water causing these blood vessels to constrict. Some benefits appear to be related just to the cold water shower at the end. So if not the complete ‘James Bond Shower’ routine you can simply try taking a cold shower for the claimed physical and mental benefits.

The claimed health benefits are an improved immune system, improved circulation, better skin and hair, better and faster recovery from exercise, and exertion-induced muscle soreness such as after a tough workout at the gym and relief from muscular pain, and increase life span and longevity.

It is claimed to even promote weight loss as exposure to cold water increases the metabolic activity in the body to produce more body heat to fight the cold temperature and increases the percentage of heat-producing brown fat in the body.

Other benefits claimed are stress relief, better mood, and relief from depression. This is thought to be due to the release of endorphins after the cold shower.  

It is also claimed to lead to an increase in willpower. After all, you do require strong willpower to stand under the cold shower in winter. This increased willpower can lead to an overall improvement in your success level in all facets of your life.

If you feel groggy, listless, and dull on getting up in the morning then the ‘James Bond Shower’ is the perfect prescription to start your day with energy and vigor.  When splashing cold water on the face can wake up an unconscious person, imagine how each part of your body will really wake up when you spray the entire body with cold water. A cold shower on a winter morning can be more effective than a cup of coffee or tea to really wake you up.

If you want to switch over to the ‘James Bond Shower’ or simply to a cold shower, except for the alpha persons, you can slowly build up your tolerance and habit of the cold shower by gradually using colder and colder water over few weeks.

But beware. The ‘James Bond Shower’ or cold shower may not be suitable for everyone, especially for the very young or the very old, persons suffering from some medical ailments such as high or low blood pressure, heart diseases, asthma, and respiratory disorders, weak immune system, thyroid diseases, etc. Be safe and consult your doctor before trying anything.

So next time when you meet your friends and they ask the secret of newfound health and vitality, you may say, ‘Its name is Bond, James Bond.’

— ND

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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.

The Queue Breaker

Dr. Dev’s (Fictional Name) friend came to consult him at his clinic. When the friend arrived there were already few patients waiting for their turn to consult Dr. Dev. When Dr. Dev learned that his friend was outside, he came to the door of his consultation chamber, and to the surprise of his friends, addressed the patients waiting for their turn with folded hands, 

‘My childhood friend has come to consult me. I am extremely sorry but If you all permit me I will like to see him first’ ‘otherwise’, he added humorously, ‘he will not let me enter his house the next time I go to visit him.’

As was expected the good-natured patients did not object and Dr. Dev saw his friend out of turn on priority. The surprised friend asked the reason for Dr. Dev’s strange behavior.

Dr. Dev asked his friend, ‘When you are waiting in a queue at the bank, a barber saloon, at the billing counter of a shop, etc., and someone just walks in and the owner or counter person obliges him and serves him first, how do you feel? You will naturally get very angry, may get in the altercation with the queue jumper and the staff, or may walk out with the resolve to never come again to that particular shop, saloon, or restaurant. The same way the patients waiting for their turn in my clinic get angry and resentful if I see someone out of turn.’

‘Due to some personal reason if I have to see one out of turn, then I have found it is better for everyone concerned that, I first tender apology to the waiting patients for making them wait longer, ask for their permission while giving some good reason and only then see someone. The day of autocratic behavior that it is my prerogative to who to see first is over.’

‘What if I had walked in directly without giving you time to come to the door and address the patients?’ asked his friend. Dr. Dev replied, ‘In such a situation, I come out after the consultation and give the explanation and apology.’

‘Is there any change if it is some VIP and not a friend like me?’ enquired his friend. Dr. Dev answered, ‘if it is some VIP my job becomes easy. I again tender an apology to the waiting patients but now I can add that because the person is a VIP, such as a high-ranking government officer or politician, I have to see him on priority otherwise he can retaliate or take action against me.’

‘If it is a police officer in uniform, the patients understand automatically my helplessness, but if the policeman is in mufti (civilian clothing), then I inform the patients that the Q jumper was a policeman and add humorously that if I had not seen him first he would have turned Dirty Harry or Singham on me.’

What about other doctors? queried his friend. ‘Do they also have some system in place to see special patients out of turn?’

‘Many doctors employ different tactics to tackle this problem’, disclosed Dr. Dev. ‘Some keep dummy entries spaced apart in their appointment book so that if someone has to be accommodated out of turn, they can be shown by the doctor or staff to have already taken appointment for that particular time beforehand.’

‘Some doctors have a separate passage and side door from which their staff brings in the VIP patient, after informing the patients waiting outside that the doctor is taking a short break. Since the waiting patients do not see the VIP entering and consulting the doctor out of turn, ignorance is bliss for them.’

‘Another opposite problem is if the VIP becomes angry if they have to wait for the doctor. For this, some doctors have kept a separate VIP waiting area, well air-conditioned, with a plush sofa in which no one will mind sitting for hours, a TV and some magazines and newspapers to pass the time, and courteous staff in attendance with water on entry and offer of tea /coffee and snacks while waiting.’ divulged Dr. Dev.

So whether you are a doctor or a businessman, be mindful of your patients, clients, customers, or patrons' feelings and try to reduce or mitigate the hurt and resentment while accommodating your friends or VIPS out of turn by using some of the tactics mentioned here.

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incidents.)

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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.

 

Why Read When I can Practice?

A library … is a great catalyser, accelerating the nutrition and rate of progress in a profession. — Sir William Osler (12 Jul 1849 - 29 Dec 1919) Canadian Physician, Medical Educator, and Author

 After reading the blog post on the importance of reading https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-basic-key-to-success.html some of my friends and students have questioned me: Is there any role of reading in subjects which require practice to learn such as driving a car or bike, sports, or even performing surgical operations? Instead of wasting our time in reading about such practical subjects should not a person utilize their time in practice so that they can learn it better and become master in that field?

There is some theory involved in almost all subjects even those that appear purely practice-based at first glance. It might be that you may have learned the theoretical part through verbal instruction by the teacher/coach/instructor rather than reading.

Take a skill like driving a car. Dr. Dev (Fictional Name) joined a driving school to learn how to drive a car. Before starting his driving lessons, the instructor gave Dr. Dev a small booklet containing the traffic rules and regulations and the traffic signs. Only after the instructor was satisfied that Dr. Dev had assimilated the content of the rule book that Dr. Dev was issued a learning license.

Before even starting the car, the instructor again explained the different parts of the car, such as the accelerator, clutch, and brake pedal, the gear shift stick, how to change gear and which gear to use at which speed range, etc. Then there were the pointers and tips on driving safely, such as the correct method of overtaking a vehicle, driving across an intersection, and so on. So, as you can see there is a lot of theory involved in even driving a car.

Even in sports, the sportsman has to learn the rules and regulations of the game. The number of books published on all types of sports, even such ultra-physical activities such as mountain climbing and martial arts is witness to the fact that theoretical part and reading is important even in sports.

 Reading about your profession/job/vocation will give you the confidence to face any challenges and questions put by your superior/boss/chief. This can lead to the opportunity to newer responsibilities and experience than you are performing now. An example of this you can read here https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-lumber-sympathectomy.html

By reading you can get the theoretical foundation to perform a new skill. This can give you the confidence to attempt something that you have never done before. You can read Dr. Dev’s experience here https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-first-laparoscopic-appendectomy.html

There is no doubt that you can become a better driver, surgeon, physician, actor, sportsman, negotiator, manager, entrepreneur, etc. by long and hard practice, but reading can serve as an important complement to help you achieve excellence in your chosen field.

We will end with two quotes by Sir William Osler which though originally were for medicine and physician apply to all human endeavors, the first on the importance of reading and the second on the importance of practice along with reading.

“It is astonishing with how little reading a doctor can practice medicine, but it is not astonishing how badly he may do it.” — Sir William Osler

“To study the phenomena of disease without books is to sail an uncharted sea, while to study books without patients is not to go to sea at all.” — Sir William Osler

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incidents.)

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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.