Heal thyself!

Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients 
Author: Adam Kay

There used to be a time when only the crêmê à la crêmê would be handpicked from public examination scorers to study medicine in state-sponsored medical schools. The competition to be admitted as a medical student was so keen. Entrance would mean assured employment by the State, together with the prestige, perks and elevation of social status to the family that came with it. That is what everyone thought, anyway.

A career in Obstetrics used to be considered quite noble. Doing the work of a stork, being there, and bringing joy via new birth was considered honourable. The team did not mind the long hours and gruelling work conditions, as they were muffled by the lustful cry of a newborn and wiped clean by the tears of joy of a parturient mother. 

Again, it is fulfilling no more.

What was a noble and fulfilling profession became a pressure cooker. A patient walks into a consultation room, wanting hassle-free relief from his pre-existing ailment. He wants 100% relief, not accepting that morbidity and mortality are realities of life. At the same time, he is wary that he may be taken for a ride, given a suboptimal treatment, and, if money is involved, be fleeced of his hard-earned money. 

The medical practitioner, on the other hand, considers the patient a potential legal liability. He must ensure all the ‘t’s are crossed, and the ‘i’s are dotted. He must run a battery of tests to ensure nothing is missed or left that lawyers will later accuse of medical negligence. 

In this background, Dr Adam Kay, a doctor in the ward, found the hard way that the system is toxic. It does not bother the practitioners or the attendants. They are left to deal with their own problems, grief and shortcomings. Dr Kay’s partner had a miscarriage, which he had to deal with himself. The system asked him to put his emotional baggage aside and work. 

He left his overalls and stethoscope for a career in standup comedy and scriptwriting. He soon discovered his true sexuality. In a genuinely comical way, laced with lots of sarcasm, he describes all the going on in his life, good and bad, all in one bag of laughs. Sometimes, he goes philosophical about human life and why we are here. A good read. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.