I. Introduction
II. Hospital Hierarchy
III. A Typical Day
IV. Painkillers
V. Meet The F*ckers
This chapter will be about meeting family members of the patient. Communication with family members is a tricky business especially in these modern times. Do not expect them to come with chickens and eggs like in those period dramas to thank you. Be prepared for an onslaught as these days, the public view doctors with much animosity.
Be Prepared
Remember that you are the host here and there are many things you can do to put yourself at an advantage. For eg, prepare the interview room by turning the air-con to the max. In our hot weather, it is unlikely that they will come in sweaters. But of course you have one ready in the locker. No one will ask too many questions when they are freezing.
Do Not Be Intimidated
The most common mistake a newbie can make is to speak to a whole kumpung of relatives. With each one shooting a question at you like machine gun, no wonder you feel intimidated!! Identify the Indian Chief, make him the representative and turn the tables on him. Have you not notice why the senior consultant always has to have the HO and MO around when he speaks to family? It is not so that the HO can record minutes of what conspired in the meeting but to intimidate the representative with numbers!
Beware Of Handphones
These days, the mobile phones can be easily used as a voice recorder. On many occasions, family members had recorded conversations with Drs and they usually do so on the sly. Any evidence is usually beneficial to Drs since we have nothing to hide. But because this is such a rude act, it is mandatory for us to foil their evil plans, just for the kick of it.
Unless you have thousands of dollars to spare for an anti-spy device, my advice will be to speak in a soft and low tone. The recording will just turn out muffled! hahahaha!
Beware Who You Speak To
Never never speak to family members over the phone unless you already know them well. You can never positively identify the person on the other side of the line. It can be the company checking on the employee pretending to be family, it can be insurance agents investigating the patient's claims and sometimes it is just some kaypoh friends. Whatever the reason, the above mentioned have no rights whatsoever to access patient's info without his/her consent.
Be careful even when the relative is there in person! This really happened:
Relative: Lokun ar, how is Bed 10 ar?
Doc: Sorry m'aam, how are you related?
Relative: I'm the sister la.
Kiasu and Kiasi Doc: ok, can I just see your I/C to make a record..... hmmmm how come you have a different surname huh?
Relative: errrr, I'm the god sister lah!
Doc: In that case I think you better go ask her personally, I have told her about her condition.
Relative: Ya Lah! I ask her already, she don't want to say, thats why I ask you mah!
Sometimes we Singaporeans just don't know how to respect other people's privacy......
haha...you are one funny person...now i read your blog everyday to relieve stress...
ReplyDeleteyup i agree too..always looking forward to reading ya blog everyday n reading more interesting stuffs!cheers!!
ReplyDeletewhats Lokun ??
ReplyDeletei generally like the idea how you tackle handphone recorders very sneaky !!!
i like ! haha
Yap!! agree... sometimes nurses also face that too. Esp when they call up keep asking u to tell them what happen to their relatives etc.. when u told them upteen times that we are not allow to as this is patients privacy.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing is also, even though u have update the mainspokes person the rest of the family members still bothers u keep wanting the doctors to update them.
And also once the doctors have already update them they stil ask us back the same thing!
hi there doc,
ReplyDeletegot a few queiries to ask you
- what is your take on being a pharmacist.Do they earn big bucks ?
- were there any med students who needed to repeat a school year?
- do you mean that on top of serving the bond for five years after your internship, you are still in debt of $18000?
THanks lots
wah, anon, considering the medical line izit? the debt is probably a study loan whereas the bond is to "repay" the govt for the "subsidy" that it supposedly gives out to every medical student. i remember the fee was like 40+k per year of which i had to pay about close to 10k in cash while the rest was "paid" by cheng hu, hence the 5-yr bond. for those who can't pay the cash component, take study loan, hence the 18k debt that Og has, geddit?
ReplyDeleteanyway, back to the topic about relatives, yeah, like all vacuum cleaners, they suck!
most pharmacist don't earn big buck, most drs don't either.
ReplyDeleteandrew must be damn lao jiao, coz now, the school fees is around $60,000. You can take a study loan which is later converted to a personal loan on graduation with I think 7% annual interest.(pls correct me if i'm wrong)
in addition, the govt also sponsor you for about another $300,000 to $350,000. hence the five years bond.
This makes our medical school the most expensive in the world? total close to 400k in tuition fees for 5 years.
what a familiar case... when uncountable "family members" come marching as a squad to ask you questions and flare when we mention "p-r-i-v-a-c-y".
ReplyDeleteand when some goon-doo collegues accidentally spill abit of info
they are the one who starts to emphisize "PRIVACY"
singaporeans...
damn. the way they're speaking, it doesn't seem they are really concerned!
ReplyDeleteyes.. how irritating relatives are. and they always like to peep peep peep! so horrible typical singaporean behaviour. no respect either. any little thing they complain and then make everyone's life difficult. feel like asking them to all disappear from the face of this earth! WHAM! yes, medical school i must say think is the most expensive here. Here, accomodation and food all sponsored by parents and still add up to 400K here! 400K can give u a decent medical education with food and living in UK! wah lau.. really wonder if GOVT is cheating us of our years and youth! SLAVES MAN!
ReplyDeleteheyys..~! dang yi sheng zhen de hen bu rong yi..jiayou ehhs~! ^^ btw can i link u ??
ReplyDeletesure!
ReplyDeletebut we don't really pay 400K for 5 years.
ReplyDeletepay $17 010 per annum, for 5 years (assuming you don't repear).
govt takes care of the rest.
so just serve out bond lor
er...my bird not that old lah, thanks...
ReplyDeleteeh they just raised our school fees and according to the govt they pay 64k a year for each of us and we have to pay 18k each. wonder where all the money goes to
ReplyDeletewe're the only profession that starts out slaving to pay off a huge debt. it really irks me when people go on and on about how doctors earn so much money, etc, wihtout so much as a consideration for the dog's life and the long hours.
ReplyDeletetwo years ago, singaporeans rushed to celebrate the nobility of the medical profession in fighting SARS. all that's left now? forum posts of complaint, some even unfounded.
Hi, what a great page! Really enjoyed it, keep up the great work!
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Your blog is excellent - keep it up! Don't miss visiting this site about health care job search
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ReplyDeleteMany of our modern drugs have harsh side-affects and cost the “earth”, so the next time you come down with a cold or the flu or stress management tip, why not try a gentle alternative that costs next to nothing?
ReplyDeleteInstead of immediately forking over large amounts of money for over-the-counter drugs, go to the kitchen cupboard and see what you can find to relieve your symptoms including stress management tip.
Here are some helpful hints for stress management tip …
A simple hot compress applied to the face is very soothing to those throbbing aches and pains of a blocked sinus, while a few drops of eucalyptus oil on a handkerchief can provide welcome relief for similar conditions. While supplements of vitamin C, D and zinc will shorten the lifespan of a common cold, a hot lemon drink is also extremely good. And be sure to cuddle-up in bed when you have a cold, as it will make the body sweat out the germs.
Cool lemon juice and honey are a great soother for a sore throat and gives the body much-needed vitamin C at the same time The juice of one lemon in a glass of water is sufficient. Melt the honey in a little hot water for ease of mixing.
A smear of Vaseline or petroleum jelly will do wonders for those sore lips and nose that often accompany a cold.
A 'streaming cold' where the nose and eyes water profusely, can respond to drinking onion water. Simply dip a slice of onion into a glass of hot water for two seconds, then sip the cooled water throughout the day. Half an onion on the bedside table also alleviates cold symptoms because its odor is inhaled while you sleep.
People prone to catarrh may find that chewing the buds from a pine or larch throughout the day will clear up their condition in just a few days.
Do you suffer from sore eyes? If your eyes are sore from lengthy exposure to the sun, try beating the white of an egg and then spread it over a cloth and bandage the eyes with it. Leave the preparation on overnight. Soft cheese (quark) is also a good remedy for this condition.
For those unpleasant times when you suffer from diarrhea, two tablespoons of brown vinegar will usually fix the problem. Vinegar can be rather horrible to take, but who cares! The problem is more horrible. Vinegar can usually be found in most people's cupboards, so you don't need to worry about finding someone to run to the shop for you in an emergency.
Sleepless? Instead of reaching for sleeping pills, which can quickly become addictive, try this: Drink only caffeine free tea or coffee starting late in the afternoon.. Go to bed earlier rather than later, as being overtired tends to keep people awake. Make sure the bedroom is dark and quiet. Use only pure wool or cotton sheets and blankets. Polyester materials can cause sweat and make you thirsty (if your child constantly asks for water throughout the night, this could be the reason).
And don't watch those scary movies just before retiring! If you still can't sleep, make a tea of lemongrass or drink a nightcap of herbal tea containing chamomile. It's easy to grow lemongrass in your garden or start a flower pot on the balcony for ease of picking. Simply steep a handful in boiling water for five minutes. Honey may be added for a sweetener.
Of course there will be times when you do need modern drugs, so if these simple remedies don't have the required affect, be sure to see a health care professional.
stress management tip