The multiple worlds of an urban (Family) physician.
After spending last 5 years in rural Bihar, coming to Delhi and practicing was a new experience. In one sense a culture shock. In the last three months of practicing General Medicine (more of Family Medicine) I encounter different subsets of patients. One subset – the upper class. The educated, google doctor patients, health aware, who get a full battery of tests which includes Hb to Serum Selenium even, every 3 to 6 months, and is on all kinds of replacements for every small dip in the values! For them every simple symptom is an indication for invasive Radiological evaluation and till that is done, they worry. Some of them during covid have had multiple online consultations and has not seen a doctor face to face for 2 years. But they found options of getting their tests done at home and finding windows when they could get their radiology done with special appointments and minimal covid exposure. Most of them have lifestyle related diseases – with DM and CAD and HT as the predom...