“Let’s create a good doctor!”

By- Akanksha Mahajan 

(Final year MBBS, Govt. Medical College, Amristar)

This is a tale of a mysterious planet in a parallel universe. The planet was created by a group of wizards, who set out on a journey to create the miraculous kingdom of their dreams, the kingdom that knew no vices. They called it “ECSTASIA”. They created different people with different characteristics and different roles to play. And now, it was time to create the people with the role of utmost significance, the doctors. But they could afford no error because they were about to create someone with the gift of healing and saving lives and one mistake could put them all in danger. So, they all prayed to the great wizard for help. The great wizard appeared with his cauldron and countless bottles of potions. And he said, “Children, look carefully as I create the recipe of a good doctor!”

And he went on enlisting the ingredients…

• Loads of compassion and empathy: A good doctor must be instilled with loads of compassion and the ability to empathise with the pain and suffering of the people. If your words originate not just from your head but your heart as well and they have the ability to relieve the patient of their pain, even to some extent, congratulations, you reached the first step towards being a good doctor.

As Sir William Osler said, “The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”

• Loads of Honesty: Good doctors must stay true to themselves as well as their patients. They must work dutifully and ethically.

• Loads of Courage: One must remember that courage doesn’t lie in being fearless but real courage is about fighting fears. A good doctor must have the courage to stand for what’s in the best interest of their patient and humanity. At the same time, a good doctor must have the courage to stand out, and the courage to be unconventional.

• Loads of Diligence and Passion: A good doctor must not be scared of working hard. A good doctor must not let the flame of that passion that led them toward this journey, die. Moreover, they must always be ready to learn, every single day, throughout their careers.

• A handful of optimism: Who said saving lives was about spreading smiles 24/7? A good doctor must stay optimistic, which can be obviously hard at times, but no matter what, they must know how to keep their patients optimistic; which is undoubtedly one of the keys to better health and well-being.

And finally, once all the above ingredients are added to the cauldron, stir well and finally add one tablespoon of “a good smile”. Here’s your recipe for creating a “good doctor”!