Messy Clinic

Yesterday Mr. Thakur ,a very senior Medical Representative from Solvay Pharma , with his Manager , visited my clinic on their usual round. After detailing about their products , they presented me with a table calendar for the New Year saying " With best compliments for the New Year ! Please put this on your desk as it also has a daily planner on the reverse ". Every year at this time I look forward to these representatives who lovingly give wall calendars , diaries and table calendars.

I looked at them in an embarrassed way and said " Thank you very much but I am truly ashamed at the sight of my desk and surroundings " . It is so messy that even if I plan to come and clear it up it is impossible in the time that I spend in the clinic and have to plan to come on a Sunday to clear things up . No such Sunday has arrived to this day and it is disorganised as usual.


They both looked at each other , smiled and asked for my permission to say a few words . I never realised at that time that listening to them made me 'proud ' of myself . Mr.Thakur said
" In our company we always have meetings to update on the sales and gear up to promote some new things to the doctors .This has been going on for a long time and as the top marketing people have realised that there is nothing new that the company has to offer , they have taken up various other programmes . In one of such events they showed us how to judge a person's nature , particularly doctors , by observing their clinics and surroundings ".

I was listening to them intently and awaiting in anticipation what they had to say about me . He continued " Your clinic is clean but disorganised with papers and books lying around . You are not meticulous but shows your warm nature. You are a peoples doctor as compared to those doctors who have a spic and span clinics . They are good administrators but not warm doctors".

He further gave an example of a patient who would complain to the doctor that the medicine he gave was very bitter . A meticulous doctor would say " Take the same medicine as it is bound to be bitter , it is good for you ". You being a peoples doctor will say " Is it so ? Wait a sec ! I will prescribe something that you will like and then you will not have any problem .Try this one --- "

Well I was quite thrilled with this analysis coming from the other side of the table and then when I reflected on what I had heard I realised that it is indeed what happens when interacting with my patients . I am always with them and do feel for them .

I think that planning to visit my clinic on a Sunday or finding time in my work time to clear up the trash lying on my table and surroundings is going to be a distant dream !!

Cheers then !!! Long live my clean but messy clinic !!!