A Doc's Life is a underground Medical Blog about some poor Singapore doctors. They are sibei sian and very buay song. Best practices not observed!
(Warning: Grammar is non existent in this blog. Those obsessively compulsive about good English please go no further and book an appointment to see your psychiatrist in Singapore.)

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Binary Confusion Part 1

Computer: Your password is overdue. Please change your password.
Doc: Again? $%#@!!!
(types):******
Computer: Your new password must be different from your old one. Please reenter your password.
Doc: Wah liao.....
(types):******
Computer: Your new password must be different from your previous 4 passwords. Please reenter your password.
Doc: Chow turtle!!!!!!

You see, I have passwords for at least 5 different programs from prescription to claiming allowances. Each has to be changed periodically. I was told I should not use English words or birth dates or my name. Safe passwords should be alpha-numeric and make no sense. Eg: s1fg355s9
So every now and then I have to call the techies,
Doc: Ehh, I forgot my password again...... can reset?

Yup, these days at State General, everything is (suppose to be) electronic and paperless. Sometimes it is quite amusing to see the old profs struggle with computers. But it is really not funny when the system breaks down on you in the middle of a busy clinic.

Doc calls tech line: Hello. System down again.....
Techie: Can you close the window and open again?
Doc: basket, I thought the open close window thing is a joke?
Techie: hahaha, yah. But really, can you shut down your comp and restart.
Doc: But the error message says SQL down leh, think its your central server.
Techie: nevermind that, just shut down, Window(TM) works in mysterious ways.
Doc: I very busy wor, patients all popping their head in liao, how long this gonna take?
Techie: ok, ok I come down.

Techie who is a young punk with yellow hair comes down.
Techie: hi Doc, My name Beckham. You wait ar!
He starts running norton antivirus.
Doc: Basket, server problem why you run norton?
Techie: thats the protocol mah. First open and close window, then run antivirus. After that run ad-aware lah! If still cannot call troubleshooter in India lor!

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:43 AM

    Serious ar?

    Now hospital like that? Wow.

    Last time I work in CGH A&E was something like that also.

    Actually in SG you guys see too many patients in an hour lah. That's one of the problems.

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  2. im curious. how come need so many passwords for so many programmes ar? and i think sometimes, running anti-virus on the computer is useless too. it just doesnt help much. even if it can detect viruses on the computer, we cannot immediately delete the viruses. doctors see so many patients in a day, maybe that's why the server is down pretty easily?

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  3. yalor, should have just 1 password for ALL programs. they scared of hacking scared until like dat. *pengz*

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  4. somemore we cannot choose the userid as well! with different userids, imagine the permutations we have to remember!

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  5. Anonymous4:23 PM

    stick memopad on the computer screen la


    (den i can print unlimited mc... WEHHAHAHAHHA )

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  6. the computer problems sound just like what i was observing while in SAF... especially the reactions of the older officers (not so big problem) and warrants (big problem).

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  7. Anonymous5:37 PM

    usually application can design to authenticate to a central ldap but sometimes the doctors is only temporary but some applications design to use own authentication mechanism.

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  8. Anonymous8:52 PM

    i think IT security is getting more & more stringet esp also have to implement so called audit recommendations. actually not only have to call to reset password, have to fill in form and get it signed by the supervisor and submit b4 the password will be reset!

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  9. Anonymous9:21 PM

    i feel problem is that there are too many applications/systems to use during the course of work so end up requiring so many passwords!

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  10. Anonymous9:27 PM

    seriously, i think they shud change the system or something...
    with so many diagnosis, medical condition, drug information etc etc to remember...
    the amount of ram left in a dr's head is almost nothing to store the "unneccessary" information!
    i cant imagine the wife complain when he forget something!
    LolX~

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  11. Anonymous10:46 PM

    very funny leh. sounds like what we always encounter. sometimes change passwords so often that no more passwords that i can think of.but not funny when stuck in a busy clinic or during calls.

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  12. heh this is so very true! now still got iHR password to remember.. and calling the silly itd helpdesk sux- always go into the voice recording system

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  13. hah, it's like NUS too, we've got to change our passwords every 3 mths, and it has to different from the past SIX passwords...

    i'm fast running out of ideas... soon i think i'll stop chking my email.

    gah!

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  14. Exactly same in banks. Only that they have different requirements for 8 passwords. Which all expire at different times, need to be either alpha or numeric or alpha-numeric, and either 6- 7- or 8- digits and with none repeating.

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  15. Plus resetting costs money. One of them is USD7 each reset.

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  16. Anonymous10:16 AM

    err Doc...any chance local patients will be seen via telemedicine with video from Indian Doctor now with news of Indian Docotr (Radiologist) reading X-Ray films in India for a Practice in USA?

    There goes the Iron Rice Bowl...

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