The 98 % Doctor

 

Dr. Jolting (fictional name) was taking the ward round with the junior resident doctors. In addition to inspecting and checking the patient’s latest status, Dr. Jolting was also reviewing the status of work completed by the junior resident looking after the patients in that ward which were instructed in the last round. They reached the patient on the last bed in the ward. Until that time the ward round was proceeding satisfactorily as the junior resident doctor had completed all the work allotted to him in the previous round.

At the last bed, Dr. Jolting got angry when he found that the resident doctor had not completed one work that was instructed to him in the last ward round. The junior resident looked hurt. He countered, ‘Sir, I have done almost all the work instructed in the last round. I have missed only this one work, I deserve praise for all the work done and not reprimand for  not doing just one small task.’

 Dr. Jolting asked, ‘Do you know what is DNA?’

 The resident looked surprised at this apparently out-of-context question but answered, ‘Of course, sir, DNA is the molecule that carries the genetic information for the development, functioning, and growth of all organisms. It is responsible for carrying and transmitting the hereditary characteristics or the genetic instructions from parents to offspring.’

‘Quite right,’ agreed Dr. Jolting, ‘And, do you know what Chimpanzees are?’

The resident looked confused at another out-of-context question but answered, ‘Yes sir, they are a type of great ape or monkeys quite similar to humans.’

  Dr. Jolting elucidated, ‘Yes, but do you know that the Chimpanzees have 98.8% DNA similar to human beings? There is a difference of only 1.2%. A tiny difference of 1 to 2% in DNA can make us chimpanzees and not humans.’

  ‘Similarly, our patients, the public, the media, the judiciary, and the world expect us to do 100% of our work with 100% efficiency. So learn to complete 100% of your work with perfection or leave the medical profession.’

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incident.)

Link to American Museum of Natural History Website https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/human-origins/understanding-our-past/dna-comparing-humans-and-chimps

 Link to Wikipedia pages on DNA:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_genetics 

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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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The Engrossed Resident Doctor

For Non-Medicos & Doctors outside India: The doctors in India after completing their basic qualification of MBBS has to appear in the Pre-PG entrance exam to get admission in various post-graduate course for higher medical education. They are allotted the different specialty branches and colleges depending on their score in this exam. Due to the shortage of PG courses seats as compared to the number of MBBS seats there is a tough competition with some doctors forced to appear for two to three years before getting their preferred PG specialty course in a good medical college, with AIIMS, New Delhi the choice of most toppers.

Dr. Jolting (fictional name) was walking down the hospital’s corridor. He spotted one of his junior resident doctors talking to a female resident doctor from another department at the end of the corridor. That junior resident had joined the surgery department on his third attempt at Pre-PG entrance exams. Dr. Jolting expected the junior resident to greet him on seeing him. The junior resident was so engrossed in talking with his female colleague that he did not notice Dr. Jolting even when he was just a few inches from him. Dr. Jolting kept on walking and walked past the resident doctor without disturbing him in his tête-à-tête.

The next day, when he met the junior resident in the ward, Dr. Jolting recounted what had occurred yesterday and jokingly remarked, “If you had studied for the Pre-PG entrance exam with even half the concentration with which you talk to females, you would have easily got admission to AIIMS, New Delhi in the first attempt.”

At your workplace, be aware of who is nearby, even when engaged in otherwise pleasant social activities. Your boss or senior colleagues may take offense if you do not greet or acknowledge them when they are in your vicinity. 

Be observant is not just necessary for juniors but also for seniors. To know more read https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-nonchalant-observant-walk.html

— 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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The Cognizant Gift Giver

 

Holiday Season Special: Christmas is around the corner and it will bring with it the western world’s largest gift-giving season.

In India, it is usual to give ‘Mithai’ the traditional Indian sweets as a gift at times of festivals, on accomplishing something to express gratitude or happiness. Rich in sugar, giving ‘mithai’ symbolizes spreading sweetness in the recipient’s life.

Dr. Dev (fictional name) was sitting in his office when one of the junior resident doctors working in their department, came with a packet of ‘mithai’ or sweets. He had just finished and submitted his thesis. The junior resident doctor presented Dr. Dev with a box of ‘Kaju Katli’, an Indian sweet made with Cashews (Kaju in Hindi).

Dr. Dev took one piece from the box, congratulated the resident doctor on the successful completion of his thesis, and thanked him profusely. Then Dr. Dev gave the box of sweets back to him and asked him to take back the box and distribute the sweets in the hospital ward.

Once the resident doctor had left with the box sweets, Dr. AK (fictional name), who was also a junior resident in the surgery department, and was sitting along with Dr. Dev, asked, ‘Sir, why did you return the box of sweets to the resident who had bought the full box to give it to you?’

Dr. Dev replied, “Dear AK, it is conventional to distribute and give the gift of sweets/mithai to express happiness and gratitude, but the resident who had bought the sweets had not kept a few points in his mind:

Due to diabetes and fear of obesity many persons had given up eating sugary sweets and ‘mithai’. One piece is all they can safely eat. Now, instead of sweets if he had gifted dry fruits like fried Cashew nuts that would have been another matter. You can eat them without fear of raising your blood sugar even with diabetes. Also, these sweets or ‘mithai’ gets spoilt fast, so you cannot store them and eat them in small portions over a few days like dry fruits, chocolates, cookies, etc.” 

“Secondly, he had chosen ‘Kaju Katli’. I don’t know the fascination with this particular sweet in the medico’s circle including pharma company sales representatives. I, like many of my doctor acquaintances, receive this ‘Kaju Katli’ so many times that many of us have become sick and tired of it due to so much over-exposure. Many of my doctor friends when they receive a ‘Kaju Katli’ box, bought even from the best shops, don't even open it and taste even a single piece but pass it on, unopened, to their other friends and helpers. Even those who eat sweets or ‘mithai’ prefer a variety of sweets other than ‘Kaju Katli’ all the time. Many prefer to receive even less expensive sweets than the banal ‘Kaju Katli’. But alas, people stick to convention and do not think creatively while choosing the gift for others.”

“Thirdly, as he had gifted the sweets in my office in my official capacity, it is appropriate that I distribute them here in the hospital itself in my official working place. If he had given the gift at my house, then I would have considered it as more of a personal gift.”

A few months later, one evening, Dr. AK came to Dr. Dev’s house. Dr. Dev asked about the purpose of his visit. Dr. AK replied that he had completed his thesis and had come to pay homage to him for his help and guidance in completing this arduous task. Opening his duffle bag he removed and presented Dr. Dev with a gift-wrapped box from a very famous sweets/mithai shop in the city.

Dr. Dev thanked him and said that these sweets are not necessary as simple thanks are sufficient. At his insistence, Dr. Dev accepted the box while feeling inwardly dismayed that Dr. AK had spent so much money in buying the sweets from such an expensive shop but I will be eating only one or two pieces from it and the rest of it will go waste.

Dr. Dev kept the box aside but Dr. AK insisted that he open the box. When Dr. Dev opened the box, he was surprised to find that box was filled with salted fried cashew nuts instead of sweets or mithai.

Dr. Dev was impressed. Dr. Dev had forgotten his talk with Dr. AK, which had occurred long back. However, Dr. AK had remembered Dr. Dev’s preference and chosen his gift accordingly without paying heed to the convention of giving sweets on such occasions.

When you give a gift or present to someone choose it based on the receivers’ personal preferences and taste, especially health-related issues, instead of blindly following the convention or commonly accepted norms.

Also, keep in mind the person’s social and cultural milieu while choosing a gift.

When you give a gift to someone, they will act pleased out of courtesy, no matter what is their inner feeling. So to get a good idea of their likes and preferences observe them in their day-to-day life that what do they prefer. Observe them when others give a gift to them and especially afterward.

Be a cognizant gift giver rather than a blind convention follower.

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incident.)

© Author. All rights reserved. 

Tit-Bits — There is an increasing demand for dry fruits and nuts for corporate gifting in India. The dry fruit and nuts sales in India are estimated to be around $2 billion or INR 16000 Crore. India is number one in cashew consumption in the world.

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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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