Humility in Medical Profession

 

While we are on the subject of humility I will share my thoughts regarding humility in my profession. 

There is a difference in the role of a doctor in India vs in the USA. With my recent experience in India I noted that patients in general still look up to the doctor with reverence. They put you on a pedestal and you need to make extra effort to remain humble under those circumstances. In the USA you are humbled automatically by the attitude patients give you more often than not😄. 

One thing I most definitely learned from my parents is to know your limits. You are not God even if the patient thinks you are. You cannot save anyone’s life. That is God’s job. But you must know what you can do and more importantly, what you cannot do. If any case is beyond your expertise you must be able to recognize it and also recognize the urgency of handing it over to someone who knows how to take care of it. How many times my father has put a patient in his car and taken him in the middle of the night to a bigger hospital in Mumbai or Pune from Khopoli and handed over to a more experienced physician or surgeon. He has waited outside the operating room or ICU with the anxious families till the patient was out of danger. 

One particular incident is etched in my memory. A man my parents knew had a fractured leg so my father took him to Mumbai . There was no ward boy or stretcher available that day. So my father literally carried the man in his arms. The professor who was rounding with resident doctors knew my dad. He pointed out to his students that “ this is a doctor carrying the patient when there is a need. Learn from him.”  You must put aside your position, your degree, your ego under any circumstances and be a human being first. 

I was reminded of my dad yesterday when I was seeing this patient who had come to me to request weight loss medication. I am a non believer in using medication to lose weight. In my absence a colleague had prescribed her one such medication. She admitted that she had not exercised nor followed a good diet since starting the treatment. And not surprisingly had not lost much weight in the period. She had problem with binge eating and was seeing a psychiatrist for other mental health issues. When I suggested referral to a dietitian she told me last time she saw one that dietician gave up on her after she failed to comply with the recommendations. I could see the plight of this woman. She had genuine mental health issues and hence needed more patience from a provider, more hand holding to get her through the problems. She was ok with the fact that I was refusing her the weight loss medication because she was not a good candidate for it. She found it acceptable to make small changes in her lifestyle and keep seeing me periodically for reinforcing. She would buy fewer junk items when she went grocery shopping and plan at least one meal a day to be only salad. A big salad, so she doesn’t stay hungry. The woman was happy as she left my office. I was thankful that I was able to make a connection with her.

 25 years back when I was new at the job perhaps I would not have recognized her need for better understanding and more time to explain things. As much as my mom thinks I am not learning anything from the Gita, I think I have learnt at least a few things over a period of time 😄

Saree is a thick cotton Odisha weave that has elements from Habaspuri and Siminoi traditions.