Read this article to know about the 10 most practical advises if you are a doctor or a health professional in. The advice in this article is applicable to all professional health professionals who has to directly deal with the patients.
All over the world, it is said that being a doctor or a health professional is like being the hand of the almighty. God cannot come down to provide the treatment to all. So, he has chosen a few to be doctors or health professionals to do the work on his/her behalf.
There was a time when doctors & health professionals were treated with respect & understanding.
But with the changing social scenario, increasing population, fluctuating financial status, increasing costs and risks it is time doctors and health professionals stop being 100 % idealistic and start getting practical.
Yes, some of you will not like this post and might say it is too cold for a doctor. I respectfully do not agree with your view and again say that a doctor can survive this modern era only by being practical.
10 Most Practical Advises to Follow if You are a Doctor or Health Professional
1# Understand that you are Running an SMB
(Small Scale Business)
If you are a doctor/health professional who is working, earning his/her living and supporting your family from the earnings of your small to medium range of professional practice (dental, medical etc), then you very well know that you have professional bills to pay every month.
For a doctor/health professional who is employed for Govt. or a big hospital it is little different as they have the regularity of salary money every month.
But when you earn your living exclusively from your private practice then you must put up a personalized list of your charges displayed, even if it looks like a menu card.
You are working hard and using your skills to provide the best health services to the patients who visit your clinic. Hence, it is only fair that you should not hesitate to mention clearly the prices you charge.
It’s better not to waste your time and energy on patients who try to bargain the treatment charges like they are just out to purchase some apple. Reducing the treatment price for such patients will put financial pressure on your practice.
Remember ! No one else is going to pay your bills or rents!
Point to note: Reduce treatment prices only for patients who you really feel cannot afford the treatment.
Always remember: You can provide free food to others, only when you have extra food with yourself.
2# Protect Your Family & Professional Practice
(Take Insurances)
It is such a surprise that, even in this modern era of information, doctors forget to purchase insurances to protect their family and professional career. If they buy then they forget to renew it.
The excuse that is given – I was too busy rendering services and care for my patients. I had no time left for any other work.
That is the lamest excuse one can give. It is not even an excuse. It is knowingly putting your family and professional practice in the way of potential risks.
How?
- Suppose your practice is damaged by burglary, patient attack or other factors. Your practice has a lot of costly equipment and damage to them is going to cost you a load of money.
- Suppose a patient files a consumer case against you demanding a huge compensation & closure of your practice. (even if the patient is lying, litigation is going to cost money)
- Suppose you (the bread earner) meets an accident and unable to practice, then who is going to pay the bills for your family.
In all the 3 scenarios mentioned above, NO ONE or NO PATIENT is going to come forward and help you or support your family financially.
You might have given hours in the service of patients forgetting to buy insurance or renew your insurances, but if the trouble comes knocking to your door (3 scenarios mentioned above) the same patients won’t even look at you. They will conveniently go to another doctor or health professional.
So, please for the sake of your profession and family – Get insurances or renew your insurances.
If you are confused what are the insurances available for a doctor/dentist or health professional then see this article.
7 Best Insurances For Safety Of Dentist : Dental Practice Management
Dental Practice Management. How to financially protect your clinic? How to financially cover your family? How to pay for consumer cases against your clinic? This post will give information on the insurance policies that can protect a dentist. Introduction: Insurances for dentists for their practice & family. Why Dentists need Insurances?
See Next Slide for #3, #4, #5 Most Practical Advice for Doctors/Health Professionals
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3# Doctors are Expected to Always Sacrifice and Serve the Country
Please do not fall into this trap. Let me justify this point.
I believe any country depends on 4 groups of people to form a stable society.
- Farmers (To produce food that we all eat)
- Soldiers/Army/Police (To protect us so that we can live peacefully without the worry of a foreign country attack us)
- Engineers (To build infrastructure from the money generated)
- Doctors/ Health professionals (To maintain a stable healthy population)
But if you notice closely the onus of all the personal sacrifices are falling mostly on Doctors, Soldiers, and Farmers.
Rest all group of professionals – seems like are not morally bound by any decree of sacrifices. They are free to work hard and look for the growth of their profession & family. If they succeed and get rich then society applauds them. They become a role model.
But if any doctor/health professional looks for his professional growth or expansion, there will be some who will comment easily – A doctor is meant to service & sacrifice. He should not be greedy! He should not seek money! He should not seek comfort!
So, I request you not to fall into this mental trap. As a doctor, you are by default providing a great service by healing people. So keep doing what you are doing sincerely and at the same time look for the opportunities for the growth of your personal and family life.
As a doctor, you are by default providing a great service by healing people. So keep doing what you are doing sincerely and at the same time look for the opportunities for the growth of your personal and family life.
Don’t ever feel guilty for trying to earn more money in the correct way.
Being a doctor or health professional does not mean that you cannot think of money or comforts for your family like everyone else. It’s just a mental trap and people tend to use it against you.
4# Never Provide Free Service
Yet again, the moment you tell this sentence, many people will pounce on you with the tag greedy!
But stay calm! You are not!
I will say again – Never Provide Any Service or Treatment at your professional clinic for free.
Anything that is free – tends to lose its value. Same is with the treatments. The patients will never appreciate it. They will never follow the advice that you give. Hence never provide free treatment to people who would not value it.
Whenever you are in clinic never compromise. Charge for your services. Never forget you have bills to pay.
But as a Doctor/Health Professional is it not my duty to provide free health services?
- Yes, it is and this is how you should do it.
- Provide free health services to the people who actually need it. Carry out free health service in the rural areas every 3rd month or 6th month.
- Carry out free health service in the rural areas every 3rd month or 6th month.
- Carry out free health screenings.
- Partner with fellow doctors & pharma companies to provide free medicines to the poor.
The idea is to provide free health services to the people who actually need it.
5# Take care of yourself
When you work as a doctor or a health professional there are many associated risks on a daily basis. What are these risks?
Biological Risks: The risks of contracting diseases.
Financial Risks: The risk of your private practice failing to make a profit and sustain.
Litigation Risks: In the modern day, any patient can drag you in the court of law for consumer case (whether there is any error from your end or not). This leads to a lot of mental torture.
The risk of violence: There also has been a growing trend of attacks against doctors by the people related to patients.
So, always be very careful about your safety in relation to all 4 points mentioned above.
Biological Safety: Before any surgical treatment get the patients tested for any diseases like HIV infection etc.Financial Safety & Protection against Consumer cases: Keep a track of your finances. Buy or renew your insurances.
Protection against violence: Do not get cornered by a group of patients and their relatives. Be very alert. Do not argue or initiate a fight. As corny as it may sound – DO NOT assume that patients/their relatives will not get violent with you just because you are a doctor. When a mob attacks then they do not give a hoot that you are a doctor. They will attack and might leave you with a lot of pain/insults. So, as mentioned few lines before – Always be Alert.
No one will feed your family if you are not there….. so make sure they are safe.
They can be safe when you are safe.
See Next Slide for #6 & #7
Most Practical Points for the benefit of health professionals
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6# Stop Glorifying Hours of Hard Work That you Do.
No One Cares!
Everybody knows that doctors put hours of hard work. Even if a doctor is lazy or not feeling like working much, he/she by default ends up working minimum for 6 to 10 hours. And it’s not a simple work. Doctors and health professionals deal with so many people and try to reduce their pain. It’s very stressful.
If the doctor is employed in a Govt. hospital then the work hours can extend indefinitely. In countries with a huge population and very limited number of doctors, the situation is extremely chaotic. In India, senior residents sometimes work at a stretch for 48 to 72 hours.
But please remember – No One Cares.
Recently there has been an incidence that was trending all over the world. A Mexican resident after working 19 hours straight slept off at 3 AM as she had another shift at morning 9 AM. So she slept on the reception table at 3 AM morning. But some blogger snapped the pictures of her sleeping and posted it online heavily criticizing the medical resident and questioning her work dedication/ethics as a doctor. The blogger did not even try to know the full story.
In support of the resident, doctors from all over the world started posting the pictures of themselves and their colleagues sleeping after minimum 12 hours of non-stop work. In not time this was trending all over the world.
You can see the viral pictures of doctors sleeping in the story below.
Amazing Viral Photos of Doctors Sleeping after Hours of Non Stop Work
Being a doctor or health professional is not easy. The whole process of being a qualified health professional takes years at a stretch. It takes around 5 to 6 years to complete the graduation. Then it takes another 3 to 4 years for specialization.
The moment you are not able to deliver due to tiredness, many patients will start bashing you verbally and some physically.
The only way around it – Stop Worrying & Expecting that People Will Notice Your Hard Work. No one Does.
So, do not put yourself under mental and physical stress.
Work sincerely in your working hours.
Take time off when you feel that you have reached your limit.
7# Yes it is a noble profession but people are not so noble anymore
I still feel being a Doctor or Health Professional is a noble profession. That is one of the most powerful notions that motivated many young students to be a doctor. It is this feeling that will motivate many talented young students in the future to be a health professional.
In this profession, you have a direct role in helping people and improving their life. People used to respect this fact and give adequate respect to the health professional. They used to realize how many years of consistent effort it requires to be a doctor.
But with changing times, there are more and more cases of doctors & health professionals being attacked and bullied.
So, accept the changing scenario. Be alert. As mentioned in point number 4, your safety is your priority.
See Next Slide for #8 & #9
Most Practical Advice for Doctors/Health Professionals
8# Never Give Impression or Have the mentality that shows your desperation to get patients.
Every doctor or a health professional who has a private set up goes through the phase when he/she is desperate for the patients to visit his practice.
In this desperation, the doctor/health professional attempts desperate measures that in the long run prove very detrimental to his/her professional practice.
- They reduce the treatment prices to attract more patients.
- Some even start providing free treatments for a certain time in the hope that they will retain the patients.
- Some start giving freebies thinking that will get more patients.
But please understand, the patients these days are very smart. They will easily look through these desperate attempts and then take advantage of your insecurities.
As a doctor or a health professional put this in your mind –
The ones who want to consult you will always wait for you … the others are just shopping around anyway. Can’t waste your time for them.
Also, you need to have the patience if you are starting with your professional health practice. It always takes a certain period of time before you can start having a regular flow of patients on a daily basis. Within that time frame you ca
