Chapter 1 - Brief outline

Finally, I feel now I am doing the right job which I was looking for all these days. I was also a mediocre student who was struggling to get good marks in my college life. I came to know that I was not that much smart once I joined my higher secondary school. Before that I was the first rank holder of the class even I was the “school first” most of the time. As I was studying in a mediocre school I was ranked one although my marks were not too high. I came out of the higher secondary with decent marks but not high enough to get MBBS seat. I joined the improvement course and did my 12^th standard again. This time I passed out with good cut off marks to secure a seat for MBBS at my native place itself in a Government Medical College. Later I became a Doctor! which was not only my father’s dream but also mine!

 

As I (and my father) was struggling hard since 10^th Standard itself for becoming a doctor I was thinking that after becoming a doctor everything would be settled, my life would be very happy and without any problems whatsoever. After becoming a medical student, I was excited for a few days despite the difficult syllabus but it did not persist for long. Studying was the only thing I was supposed to do and that was what done as well. The same thing which I was doing all the previous years. I was able to pass out MBBS with a big struggle and became a doctor. My father was very happy that finally one doctor been installed in our family. Unfortunately, or fortunately nothing changed in me. There was always a lag, an emptiness in me which I could not find out correctly.

 

After passing out of the medical college, as all others did I also joined coaching center for preparing to crack All India PG Entrance Examination(now NEETPG). Since I could not afford to sit and prepare without earning being from a middle-class background I joined a hospital as a duty doctor. I was working in emergency department for a certain period and then shifted to Airport at which there was a small center for providing first aid to the passengers and staffs. As I got many leisure hours there, I was able to contemplate over many things including medical practice. Then I joined a hospital for night shifts. I was doing only night shifts continuously for a period of around 2 years. Later I joined back to Airport and from there I got an opportunity to join a paramilitary force hospital on a contract basis.

 

In the paramilitary hospital, I was treating many patients who were paramilitary personnels. I was having the belief that army men would be fine and fit always but I could see many persons were having the same ailments which the general public suffer like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and so on. I always questioned myself whether I was doing the right thing for my patients or not. Especially when I prescribed medications for long-term diseases like diabetes. I was feeling guilty of prescribing too much medications for controlling blood sugars. Although I was doing service and not getting any bonuses, gifts or tour packages from pharmaceutical representatives, I was feeling guilty because of the side effects which I had read in pharmacology. I was always looking for a better alternative for my patients.

 

I found psychological stress playing a main role in causing these diseases. I was conducting stress management sessions to the force people. I read few materials and came to know that stress causes many long-term illnesses. I thought with stress management we could deal with these diseases in a better way. Later I got an opportunity to join a software company doing a project for computerizing the entire health care system. I joined and learnt many things especially what the software people really do. In that project I was taking care of Non-communicable disease program in which the patients were screened by field workers at their home itself for diabetes, hypertension and so on. The concept was good that early diagnosis by screening and starting treatment would give better outcomes.

 

“The modern medicine has to change a lot. It has to change the conventional beliefs”. I came to know all these when I read the book by Dr. B. M. Hegde. I would not say he was 100% correct but I accept the fact that the doctors have to change their mindset especially money-mindedness. I did not start practicing, I did not start a clinic fearing for the same. I had the firm belief that once clinic is started I would become money-minded. The representatives would brain wash me and could make me write even unnecessary medications in the innocent patients’ prescriptions to achieve their monthly targets.

 

One day, I was advising my spouse to do some online jobs along with home making as she was feeling bored. She told “Nowadays, no online jobs are secure, I could find only cheaters!”. This sentence kindled me and I was searching for a good online job in which we need not put any single rupee investment. I was able to earn around 500 Rs (10$) through a free-lancing website by translating one article from Portuguese to English without even knowing a single word in Portuguese using google translate. I did it to show my wife that we could earn online without any investment. Later I got the idea “Why not we try doing the doctor job itself online?”

To be continued...