Tears, fears and sometimes jeers- this is the lot of the modern doctor. How we take it is, well, mostly up to us. Dermatologist and theatre personality Anil Abraham takes you through all this..
My elderly Gynae Prof used to recommend a policy called MASTERFUL INACTIVITY in most normal delivery cases.Maybe we should also follow this principle in  day to day practice.Sometimes the conflict or argument or trying to prove you are right is traumatic.So is there an option… ?
indian patients doctor

You nod , and you listen and you gently just smile

 
When the patient walks in, you just nod and you smile,
And then you sit back and listen, as he talks for a while.
He talks about hair loss and the cracks on his heels,
Then he talks about chest pain and his  flatulent  meals.
He can talk about in-laws and his daughter’s test marks,
He may talk about neighbours or the street dog that barks.
You nod,… and you listen,…. and you gently just smile,
You try to look focused …..and make notes in his file.

She may link cancer to brinjal or eczema to rice,
She may firmly connect eating  fried fish to   lice.
She may  use ..Vate on her face because  “Aunty said so ! “,
But she doesn’t want laser ’cause ” What do YOU know ?”
She doesn’t want tablets ’cause her best friend just said
” Arre my mummy ate tablets, and then she was dead ”
You nod,… and you listen,…. and you gently just smile,
You try to look focused …..and make notes in her file.

She doesn’t want peels because  she has read on the net,
And her cousin got burns by doing peels from the vet.
She doesn’t want ointments ’cause they are oily and greasy,
She doesn’t want anything…it’s that simple and easy.
“Don’t send out for lab tests , just guess if you can,
And while you’re consulting can you fix up my tan ? ”
You nod,… and you listen,…. and you gently just smile,
You try to look focused …..and make notes in her file.

And just see my baby , he has rash on  the bum
No it’s not  from the nappy !! I’m a very good mum.
Just check out my driver, he has dandruff and piles,
And he always gets boils when he’s driving for miles.
When you’ve finished all those …… just look at my cat,
And also do something to make me less fat !”
You nod,… and you listen,…. and you gently just smile,
You try to look focused …..and make notes in her file.

Thank you dear  doctor, do I need to pay fees ?
Or if you want to thank me, then down on your knees.
Why can’t you learn from our Aamir – not charge any money,
Just wipe off a tear and then say something funny.
After all if you look now, I told YOU what to do,
And I gave you my  company for half an hour too.
You nod,… and you listen,…. and you gently just smile,
You try to look focused …..and make notes in his file.

So see you good doc, my lawyer will call,
And tell you the good news while I shop in the mall.
I’m suing you for empathy and the time that you spent,
I’m also upset  that my car has a dent.
So service, professional ,  all the taxes you pay
Will help you remember  the only right way
You nod,… and you listen,…. and you gently just smile,
You try to look focused …..and swallow the bile.

“Ours not to reason why ” said Tennyson in rhyme,
Ours is a vocation and the rewards sublime.
Enjoy every moment, and  Primum non nocere..
Do no harm is the motto, treat with empathy and care.
For every bad moment , we’ve got to make this our style..
You just nod and you listen and you gently just smile