Good Doctors.....

I came back after spending a few days with some Good Doctors. Yes, there are good doctors these days too. These days when doctors are being beaten up supposedly for their misdeeds! How did I label these doctors as good ones? Let me take you through 6 sets of criteria.

Why are these people in Medicine? They have a sense of fulfillment! They are there, yes for a job, they do receive a salary, they have a job satisfaction, not because of the salary they get only but things beyond the salary. They are some of best in their field among their peers in college! Though working in not so well-known locations, they are doing much in their career, bur career advancement is not what gives them the fulfillment. They see the career and job as a platform to care for those who do not have easy access to health care. And they find fulfillment in the fact that Medicine is a vocation – to be part of something bigger than just a job or career, though these are important.

Where do they practice medicine – They position themselves to situations where they can pour themselves out for this calling or vocation. The most suitable place where they can engage for that bigger picture. Salary and career advancement, they consider important but not as primary!

How do they practice Medicine - They may not the eminent and known and so they do not practice eminence-based Medicine!  But they do not compromise on excellence. The context where they are contributes to health care of people from lower rung of the socio-economic ladder. That does not lead them to compromise in excellence! (Excellence defined as - extremely good in what they are doing.) Of course, they do practice evidence-based Medicine!  They do not practice only the technology of Medicine, but marry the art and science well! They know their patients! 

Who are they – their identity is not as “Doctors” alone, they are husbands, and wives, fathers and mothers, community leaders, and specially this season of covid when they were challenged, they were facilitators of communities of caring! Communities beyond the “Doctors” – but other health care professionals and anyone who could be the extended arm of caring!  Their identity does not come from what they do, nor do they get their identity from what they earn, but from a bestowed identity of who they are in front of God – people who have been seen and accepted by God. In one sense – who they are….

When do they do their best – the current covid pandemic brought out the best from their lives. They were caring amid personal pain. Many of them with covid infection, with no quarantine or not even testing, (Intentionally to avoid being quarantined since they were the only ones who could provide care to many others) they were caring for those in pain. In the middle of their emotional and internal pain, they were caring for those who wanted care.

What for – why do they do what they do? They do these things out of the ‘why’ we started with. They find fulfilment in being part of a bigger picture or meta narrative. They dream a dream which others may not want to dream. In one sense a 'road less travelled'. A dream of a changed world that is healthy and just!

They consider this engagement as a privilege because they do not function from a sense of entitlement, but from a sense of gratitude. They recognize that they have been given a privilege to be skilled and be care givers. Recognizing this privilege, they have no other option but to care for those who do not have such privileges in life…

Was this a dream – let me assure you, it was not! I can introduce you to some of them....