Despite the recent spate of litigations against doctors and growing incidence of violence against them, the medical profession, by and large, continues to follow its core values in day to day practice and is still a noble profession.
But when we look closely at the profession today, we do find gaps in what is expected of doctors in terms of the knowledge, skill, expertise and qualities. This is, to a large extent, because of the shortcomings of our medical curriculum at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The much-needed knowledge about behavioural sciences, public relations, social and cultural mores, and legal issues are either excluded from the curriculum or not given due importance. This is what leads to problems.
The prime objective of medical profession is to render service to humanity. This is a huge responsibility and requires exceptional qualities on the part of doctors. What are these? And what are the core values that students aspiring to enter the medical profession need to have?
Passion
First and foremost, those aspiring to be effective doctors should have the passion to study and practise medicine. It’s their passion which prepares them for the hard work and sacrifices required to excel. Only if you are passionate about pursuing medicine and committed to improving the lives of others can you spend long hours studying and later examining patients and tending to their needs.
Professionalism
A doctor should conduct himself with the dignity associated with the medical profession. This doesn’t come merely by donning the white coat; he has to earn the respect of his patients with his knowledge and expertise. Doctors need to have wide-ranging medical knowledge that can be recalled at short notice. They have to stay on top of the latest medical news, and new researches and techniques. This means having a thirst for knowledge and constantly updating one’s information and skill-set by studying and attending conferences, seminars and workshops.
Confidence
For a patient the doctor is next to God. They can be the difference between life and death. To be an effective doctor you need to have loads of confidence in yourself and convey it to your patients. Patients want to rely on the doctor. A doctor with healthy confidence evokes trust in the patient. So even if you feel unsure about something, don’t let your lack of knowledge erode your patient’s confidence. Read up, consult other specialists and give your patient the best medical opinion.
Compassion
Service to patients should be a doctor’s primary motive. Quality service and patient satisfaction is what a good doctor should strive to provide. Doctors should be approachable and available, listen carefully and encourage patients to ask questions. Doctors need to be conscious of the fact that their duty is to promote health and treat disease in the best way they can and support patients and their loved ones. A good doctor embraces the power of information and communication to work cooperatively with the rest of the healthcare team and help patients make the right choice of treatment.
Ethical values
To be an effective doctor it is important to be aware of all regulatory issues regarding examination, conduct of tests and operations, and documentation and adhere to them strictly. It goes without saying that a doctor not should not indulge in unnecessary referrals for cuts and commissions with other colleagues. He should also maintain complete confidentiality of his patients’ records/medical conditions. Medical ethics, essential for imparting quality medical service, should, ideally, not be imposed, but followed voluntarily and regulated by the profession itself.
The author is Professor (Hospital Management) and Dean (Training), International Institute of Health Management Research, New Delhi.
