Bahar Ali

Ugly Side Of Being A Doctor ...

Struggle starts in our life when we become the victim of wishes of elder. "He/She will be a doctor..." is the sentence that snatches our childhood from us. When many kids are playing in the street or having fun, we, having the gist of hardwork for becoming a doctor, become obsessed with books and grades.

As time passes, a hell lot of pressure to secure outstanding grades in Matriculation & FSc has already cost us our childhood. Then comes the Entrance Exam and if by luck and hardworking we manage to get a seat in Medical School, only then our nightmare begins.

I used to hear "Once you pass the FSc your life becomes easier" but i had no idea what easier actually meant.

Five years of medical school;
A lot of books ...
Constant stress of not performing well in studies ...
Constant fear of getting fail in exams ...

When my family members are out, enjoying meals with the family, i bring my meal to my room because i am 2 days behind my schedule. My room is full of books and scattered skeletal bones on which i keep studying anatomy. Wrath of teachers, no leave on sick days, lectures and exams suck the life out of us.

If we pass then we become House Officers (Junior Doctors) & start our House Job. Hospital offers 100 payed seats while my class strength is around 150. Many of us work unpaid to the long duty hours, as long as 96 hours/week often. We eat less with disturbed schedule. We mess up our sleeping schedule.

After completing House Job we have to pass National Licensing Exams as well in which we have to study all five years combine to get a license to practise.

Until now we are only hatched chicks in our field.

We have to opt for already very few jobs available at 100s of kilometers away from our homes just to strive for few extra marks so that we could get into a reputable institution for specialisation.

Most of us turns almost 26 years by now. When our school fellows from childhood are starting their business, getting marry and starting families, we are still uncertain about our future.

Somehow if we are able to clear the specialisation programme Entrance Exam then next 4 years turns our life up side down.

The training as a Post Graduate Student;
72 to 96 hours/week ...
Messed up sleeping schedules ...
Messed up eating habits ...
No holidays at all whether it's the marriage or death of anyone's loved ones ...
No public holidays even ...
Under payed ...
Over worked ...
Getting the heat & hatred of almost every other profession ...
Having books in our hands and taking exams every now and then ...

Time passes taking us to our 30s, turning our hair grey or white, wrinkled faces and black circled eyes starring from behind the glasses, a socially introvert or perhaps awkward who is still uncertain about his future, struggling to fit in family or social interactions, stressed over the fact of not enough financially stable to support his family when starting one's own family seems a far fetched idea ...

Pretty easy, han ... !!! ???

Almost at the age of 40 years we are done with our specialisation when we have lost the real fun years of our life. However still we have to read books & take exams to remain up to date and to face the challenges of this ever changing dynamic field. Our study never ends.

AND FINALLY WHEN WE CHARGE SOMEONE WITH FEE, HE DOES NOT DELAY 1 SECOND UTTERING THE WORDS;

"YOU DOCTORS ARE LOOTING US."

WHEN THEY DO NOT EVEN ABLE TO COMPREHEND THAT WE LOSE ALMOST 40 YEARS OF OUR LIFE TO HAVE THAT SKILL APART FROM LOSING MUCH MORE WHICH IS BEYOND EXPLANATION ...
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