When one opts for medicine, they are not opting for a career option that is like any other. At a time when their peers are settling in their respective careers, they are consumed in thick medical books, preparing for their grueling exams. When their peers are going the family way, they are busy working the 18-hour shift. And when their peers are cheerily talking about their retirement plans, they are still finding their ground in their profession.
All said, we cannot draw an accurate picture of what it is like being a doctor. So we asked doctors across the nation to share their experiences. Here it is:
Dr KK Aggarwal, Honorary Secretary General, IMA and President, Heart Care Foundation of India
Medical profession was, is and will remain a noble profession. Doctors are professionals and not businessmen. The suffix Dr is given to only doctors. Article 18 of the constitution does not allow any titles but we all are allowed to prefix Dr in front of our name so that we can be differentiated from others and are available to any person who is in need. Our job is to help reduce suffering. The first oath that we take upon entering the profession is: "A physician shall uphold the dignity and honour of his profession." And the first declaration we make is "I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to service of humanity."
The day we get our MBBS degree and start practicing, a new life begins for us. We are brand ambassadors of wellness and need to behave differently in public. We cannot and should not smoke or drink or share our personal life with our patients on social media or otherwise. We need to adhere to the law of confidentiality and privacy. We need act as role models for the society for our patients look up to us.
Adhering to these, we may often have to make compromises in our personal lives. However, just the fact that through our actions we are able to bring about a significant difference in the lives of hundreds and thousands of people, brings us happiness and self-satisfaction.
Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director, Medanta - The Medicity
When you save the life of a person and see them making a difference to humanity, you realise the magnitude of change that you can effect by your efforts. That is a very satisfying feeling. The hardest part about being a doctor is the long studying period, which requires up to 13 years to become an expert. Things get tougher when you have to balance your professional commitment of being available 24x7 as well as engage in continual academic learning of the latest advancements in medicine. One needs seemingly unlimited stamina to consistently deliver the best to patients.
But all that is worth the effort when you experience the gratification upon interacting with the family of a healing patient, and when you save a life. That moment seals a bond between you and the patient’s family and they become a part of your own family.
Prof. Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group
Being a doctor is a blessing. Being a doctor means taking care of those who need you the most. Being a doctor means helping save lives. As a pediatrician one has the responsibility of looking after babies and children who come in pain. Seeing them smile after treatment is just so rewarding. Seeing their parents and grandparents heave a sigh of relief when they get better is pure joy. The most rewarding moment of my professional life occured some 18 years ago, while we were working hard to make liver transplantation a reality in India. Sanjay, a frail 18-month old child from Kaanchipuram who was suffering from liver failure became the first child to undergo a successful liver transplant in India at Apollo Hospitals, Delhi in 1998. Sanjay now leads a normal life and is a medical student.
Being a doctor is challenging as one has to be on call 24X7X365. Finding time to read about the latest developments on a weekly basis to keep oneself updated is difficult. The hardest part is breaking catastrophic news to parents. To tell parents that you are going to lose your child is to my mind the toughest task a pediatrician faces. Every time a doctor loses a patient, one loses a part of him/herself.
Dr PM Bhujang, President, Association of Hospital
Medical career is both challenging and gratifying. Long years of grueling training before one settles down compared to many other professions are really tough. Satisfaction of relieving the pain, treating and curing the various diseases is unique to this profession. Long hours of work, sacrificing family life and personal interests are part of a doctor’s life. When a patient is cured of his ailments and he expresses gratitude with a smile, that’s the moment we feel rewarded and forget all the tiredness and inconveniences. Keeping oneself updated with the latest advances in the medical field and to acquire skills to keep pace with modern technology is a big challenge.
One of the most difficult moments in a doctor’s professional life is to convey unpleasant news to the patients and relatives. It often hurts when we are blamed for some outcomes, knowing well that medical science is still an inexact science and some of the results are inevitable. Some of the other elements that disturb are the perception that doctors are highly paid which is not true and the notion that doctors are greedy is demotivating. But it is also true that doctors are still respected by the society. Above all it is extremely gratifying to the doctors that they play a major role in preventing diseases and bring cheers to the people by treating their illnesses.”
MBBS, MD (INTERNAL MEDICINE) (USA) Dr Anjali Hooda Sangwan, obesity, metabolic medicine and clinical nutrition consultant
When someone calls you a doctor, it’s the most respectful prefix one can have. Most rewarding part is when patients get better post treatment, the blessings are infinite. Healing people is the most rewarding experience. You choose to be a doctor for the passion of healing rather than monetary gains, so the hardest part is to charge people to do this service. But doctors too need to support their family. Another hard part is when there is an incurable disease and when you are not able to explain an ongoing disease. It happens rarely but it does and when it does, it is very frustrating to not know all answers. But then we are doctors not God.
The most rewarding aspect of being a doctor: We can change the life of the patients, with our actions may it be surgery or medical management or through medicines; and to be able to put together all our experience to solving our patient problems. We deal with humans all the time and unlike another profession, people are dealing with machines most of the time. We deal with people and their problems. This is a very humbling experience. The patient comes to me with 100 per cent trust and faith and I will do my best to solve their problems. The drawback is I cannot stay from my patients from more than two to three days as it is good interfere with their post-surgical recovery. Family life, holidays and social obligations can get canceled at the very last minute due to some emergency situations. People put high expectation on us without realizing that we are not God but we are as simple that we are just trying to do our best by putting together of all our knowledge.
Dr Sanjay Kalra, Endocrinologist – Bharti Hospital Karnal and Vice President, South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies
I enjoy being a doctor. There is nothing else that gives me so much pleasure and satisfaction. Focusing on chronic disease, my work combines the features of a super–specialty clinic and family practice. I am able to learn and practice cutting edge technology related to my subject, while maintaining the style and ambience of an old – fashioned general physician. This unique blend allows me to achieve global outlook while staying community –based and community oriented. I have an active academic, medical writing and research career as well, which is a source of personal fulfillment. All the aspects of the medical profession are rewarding for me. The most rewarding event, however, is when I observe the children with type1 diabetes who have been in my care for the last one and a half decades.
Having grown into handsome men, and confident, beautiful girls, these healthy kids bring me joy and happiness. Frustration does occur at times. I feel bad when patients, and their families, do not accept modern medication such as insulin. They prefer to repose their faith in alternative and complementary healers of dubious quality. This, I feel, is a slap on the face for me. I also feel incompetent when a communication gap arises with patient, inspite of best efforts. At times, this irritation builds up, and I feel like changing my style of work, from a patient –centred, shared decision making approach, to a didactic, ’the physician is always right ‘ method. But then, I take inspiration from the Bhagwad Gita, where Lord Krishna exhorts us to keep on working, without worrying about the fruits of our labour. Whatever I do, I do for Him: this makes every challenge seem simple, and this is my reward.
Dr. R. K. Mani (CEO (Medical Services) & Chairman, Critical Care, Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine at Nayati Multi Super Specialty)
Being a doctor - What is it really like? To a query like this one, if there is a short answer, it would be- “not a joke”! Even after 30 years of a career as a consultant after having spent 13 in training, the job challenges you every day. There is no respite, though there is never a dull moment! I would not be in it just to make a living, as it is not the easy way if you take it seriously. It has to be a calling, not a job. So it has been, a genuine opportunity to grow as a skilful, compassionate human being. I started off as a callow, idealistic youth with a wish list that included best of everything in life. Being a doctor cured me of many a fanciful dream, to be replaced with practical, if unglamorous goals, that have made me feel better suited to help others.
For one thing a Medical career never lets you feel you know it all. If anything it fills you with the awareness of how little you know. The human body is marvelous and diseases are stiffest of challenges. Everyone is unique, yet there are fundamentals of physiology and disease processes to be understood and brought to the bedside. The vast ocean of medical knowledge makes you feel like a boy playing with its waves in its shores. It is a humbling experience to be part of an international fraternity that is constantly exploring, learning and improving itself- intellectually and in skills of the hands.
Above all we learn from our patients. Not a day passes when we don’t witness the highs and lows of life played out before us. There is of course the thrill of watching people overcoming disease and suffering, the anguish of their suffering and pain, the magic of the power of faith and love and the complex range of emotions of the caregivers. There is also the personal challenge of getting ourselves to accept the daunting task of supporting patients and their families. We may be called upon to support them through their fear, panic, anxiety and depression. And to find practical solutions to their economic and social travails. I must confess many a time all this gets too much for me and wish for an easier job. But like a sailor who can’t keep away from the rough seas you want to return to the turbulent waters, to make a difference to the lives of others and to your own. One cannot be too objective in one’s assessment of an emotional job like this one. It has been a rewarding experience, of a rich value that eludes cold calculations. Many a time the ecosystem may seem biased against you, misunderstandings may frustrate you, and perceived threats may frighten you- but given another chance at a choice, I can’t think of anything better to do than to work to excel as a healer.
Dr Sadhana Kala, Senior Consultant, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Moolchand Medcity, New Delhi
Being a doctor is a challenge everyday; it is a continuous learning process. Human body is complex and just as you think you have known most of it in your specialty, more challenges appear. So a doctor is always a student. Every day we get a bonus of helping people out of their misery, getting them to feel better again. The hardest part has always been to deliver a bad news to the patient his family. But then life is a mix of triumph, tragedy, happiness which one has to accept and perform our duty to the society. As a doctor, I am thankful to the Almighty to be given an opportunity to serve people who repose faith in me to alleviate their pain and suffering. It is extremely fulfilling for me to be a change-maker in society by initiating preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care. Small efforts in educating people about good health have a huge impact on the community. Practice of team medicine, high tech care for diagnosis and cure, willingness to promote quality care as well as great skill sets and competency are great boon in modern medicine.
Dr Sanjeev Singh, Senior Medical Administrator, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi
With focus on advancement in medical technology, communication between doctor and patient has weakened. Many doctors in today’s “hi-tech” care and modern medicine have forgotten “high touch” care. Spending enough time with patients and their family members and listening to their concerns are important. In the race to become big and well-known, many medical practitioners take to unethical or shortcut practices, which is a cause of concern. I believe there is a lack of great role models for younger generation to imbibe the culture of dedication and commitment. Teaching and efforts towards training medical students or colleagues, and to share best practices and skill sets, are diminishing. Kickback practices are eroding ethical delivery of medicine today. What is needed is the practice of value-based medicine, cost-effective medicine and comprehensive care medicine.
Dr Anita Sethi, Director, Opthalmology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute
Most rewarding is the smile on the face of your patient when they're better! Or, specific to my speciality, when their eyes light up because they can see! The hardest part of being a doctor is to stay dissociated - that is to care enough without distressing yourself. And to know that in spite of your very best efforts, the outcome can be less than desirable. But if the patient understands that you tried your best, then the hardest part can also be the most rewarding.
