When Dr. Dev (fictional name) was working as an assistant professor in the department of surgery, they used to see and treat emergency patients along with routine cases in the morning Outpatient department (OPD) clinic. Therefore, some doctors (surgeons) needed to be always present right from the beginning of the OPD clinic until its end.
Once Dr. Dev had to take a class of undergraduate medical students in the morning at the same time that the OPD clinic used to start. Dr. Dev asked one of the junior residents working in their unit to come to OPD early to attend to any emergency patient if needed.
The junior resident said, “Don’t worry sir; I will be in OPD at the right time.” Dr. Dev replied, “Don’t be on time. Be there before time.” The junior resident quizzically looked at Dr. Dev.
Dr. Dev explained, “It is almost impossible to reach a place exactly on time. Some or another unexpected problem occurs delaying us. In addition, we frequently underestimate the time taken to reach a place. We think it will take just two minutes but it takes 5-6 minutes. Always aim to reach the place before time, so that you are never late.”
“Learn from the example of my friend Dr. JP (fictional name), who is a medical officer in the Medicine department. I find him sitting in the Superintendent's office waiting area 10 to 15 minutes before the OPD starting time. I once asked him, why does he always come before time?”
Dr. JP replied, “It takes me just 10 to 15 minutes to reach the hospital from my house. I used to reach the hospital on time even when I left home at 8.45 a.m. But once or twice it occurred that some patient came for consultation just as I was departing from my home to come to the hospital. I could not refuse to see them on humanitarian grounds, but due to that I got delayed in reaching the hospital.”
He further continued, “Now I always start at 8.30 am from my house so that even if some patient comes at that time, I can see him and yet reach the hospital on time. When no one comes, I reach the hospital 15 minutes before time. Therefore, I wait here until the OPD starting time. These 15 minutes is my buffer time.”
As Lord Horatio Nelson said, “I owe all my success in life to having been always a quarter of an hour before my time.”
So always, aim to reach the place 15 minutes before time and not just on time.
— ND
(Based on 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. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient and students as foremost and according to NMC and other Board norms.
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