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, October 11, 2005

Our Eyes Met

I was walking by myself in Tikishamiyi, when I saw his lady walking towards me. She looked familiar but I just cannot place when I met her. This is a familiar feeling. I believe many a times we see somebody and we wonder whether we’ve met them somewhere before. I remembered when I was in medical school, I met this really pretty girl from another faculty that looked so familiar. Where have I seen her before? Was it in a dream? =) It turned out that she was the daughter of a provision shop owner near my old place. (That’s another story for another time and place)

As the lady approached, our eyes met for a brief moment. And I saw it in her eyes that she knew me from somewhere. (And “knew” used here does NOT mean the Biblical sense of the word [Dr. Og doesn’t really anyhow sow his oats one…])

I wondered if I should smile at her. What if I was mistaken? Can I pretend that I was smiling at the person behind her? At that moment, I took a quick glance at the person behind her. I shuddered. I did not want to smile at some man wearing a tight pink T-shirt and white jeans with his longish wallet clasped between his right armpit, his right elbow was flexed with the right wrist drooping, in a classical wrist drop position (see picture for what wrist drop is).

As our eyes parted, I made the decision not to smile, just in case. As I walked past her, I heard her tell her friend,

“...There… this one lah…this one my loctor lor….so “dao”…like neber see me like that“

She was right. I don’t recognise her. I remembered seeing her in one of the clinics I have ran at some point but I can’t remember which clinic and when I saw her. Some patients are embarrassed. They avoid being associated with us. (“jay jay” will know why…)

How we know whether patients wants to acknowledge us or not?

55 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:51 PM

    Uncle, how come your blog always kena such spams, when other pple don't?

    ReplyDelete
  2. To pretzel:

    sorry hor, my blog also kena spam also lor.

    To Lokun:

    forget about such people la. lokun also people ma, how can remember so many people? like sales people also.

    tell them: limpek also human hor. no superhuman lor, hor? how we know whether u all want us to acknowledge u or not?

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  3. hahahah...wah lau! if i see my doc and remember him, will definitely smile and say hi one! afterall, he save my life mah! now worries abt the woman lah. next time see chio bu, just smile anyway. even if she don't know, she just might smile back! *big grin*

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous8:15 PM

    Welcome Back!!!!!!!!!!

    You keep my daily sanity....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:17 PM

    I'm sure you will remember certain categories of patients:
    - Those with unique professions, eg: famous chefs, owners of photography shops, or R/C cars, etc? They may give good discounts for the kind Drs ;)
    - Those satisfied patients, who help spread your good reputation by giving informal referrals to their frens :)
    - Those unreasonable demanding patients who always threaten to complain
    - Those paranoid ones that ask endless Qns
    - Those patients who are so grateful to you for healing them, the entire clan turn up @ your clinic to thank you

    surely, you do end up being frens with some of the patients over the years, ya?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8:19 PM

    HAHHAHAHAHHA knew her in the biblical sense that one really got me and sowing your oats hahaha :)

    Subtle yet funny :)
    Keep it up

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous8:44 PM

    Why worry about what people think in those situations?

    Want to smile at a patient you recognize just smile lah. Be nice be nice lah! As long as the intention is good and it has nothing to do with work or professional ethical issues, just smile (if you want to)

    I mean what could happen? Patient sue you? Write letter to Singhealth to complain about you?

    "Dear Singhealth,

    This Dr Og that day walk past me at takamushimushi and smiled at me. Why he do that? He make me malu in front of my friend. Cos now he know I had to see a Gynae even though I am only 17 years old. So everybody know liao.

    I hope you will make an investigation. I intend to sue Dr Og for smiling at me in a public place. Doctors should not smile to their patients at public places."

    C'mon lah that won't happen right?

    ReplyDelete
  8. In view of the current climate of fear... can't really elaborate even though Dr. Og is now is Monkey Republic. =)

    ReplyDelete
  9. So that fella really your patient ah?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ang Ku Kueh and Pretzel (hmm..both food):

    Dr. BL Og really REALLY wished that got friends who are chio bu.

    But no matter how chio, no matter how hot, no matter how sexy, no matter how sizzling she looks... it is still unethical to date patients/patients' relatives.

    Any friend(s) you wanna intro to Dr. Og?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous10:40 PM

    Uncle, don't be so biased lah... don't always assume female patient lah... (hmmmm... u specialize in Gynaecology???)

    It doesn't hafta be a date date... like BGR kind of date, my dear.

    Scenario:
    Dr n 5yo son new found hobby in R/C cars.
    Patient happens to be expert and boss of a hobby shop selling R/C cars.

    Surely, Dr will 'click' with patient since got > common topic... and Frenship can start from there, ya?

    Intro frens to Dr BL Og??
    Got!!! I fwd'd the url to frens b4.
    If they've figured out your identity or want to know you > in-depth, they would've initiated contact with u. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous12:02 AM

    Thats probably why doctors frequently end up with nurses or other doctors. Lol

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous1:26 AM

    lan jiao lah! loctor see my horse all mouth big big cos my horse too power liao! Hahahahahaha! now the char bor noe who loctor ogy is!!! ho seh la! no horse run!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Mine's at the bus stop. There's always this girl whom I was seeing almost everyday. Then there were a few occassions I actually saw her elsewhere, but I didn't know whether to say hi or not.

    I still don't know. But it's easier for me to lah, comparing to your case.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous3:21 AM

    wait..

    in the 1st place how come every one migrate to Monkey Republic ?

    there COE cheap ah?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wah 1st time see rockson comment siah...

    But yeah, i read somewhere some patient don't want to be identified by their doctors, especially those plastic surgery doctors. lol...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous8:22 AM

    Xiaoming, why you always ask stupid questions?

    Rockson, the standard of your blog go down liao leh. wah lau, you scared of gahmen issit?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous10:00 AM

    wow the first time I see rockson commenting one someone else's blog. He doesn't even comment on his own!

    Dr Og, thought you are married?! what business do you have dating pretty females?

    p.s did we need to take a queue number for dating you btw? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  19. Er... whatever gave you the idea that I'm married?
    Besides, I am in Monkey Republic now.

    And not just pretty females.. must sizzle too.

    *evil laughter*

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous10:59 AM

    Dr .. You are back!!

    没有你的日子很难过!

    比价烟还难!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I dun think it is this "jie" leh...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous11:19 AM

    ya ..wrong .. It's this 戒烟 。。

    kekekeke .. type too fast .

    In office mah ..

    ReplyDelete
  23. in office can read my blog...

    *Dr. BL Og is touched*

    Thank you for loving me.

    Bwahahah...

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous11:57 AM

    Ya, boss not around.

    I heard she went to some State General Hospital see some specialist wor ...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous12:16 PM

    dr blog, it is very obvious from your previous blog that you are married. i don't understand why you still want to know friends who are chio bo

    ReplyDelete
  26. dr bl og is a team. only one is married.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous12:21 PM

    i see. great still got hope and luckily i am not your patient.

    ReplyDelete
  28. But the rest are only interested in monkeys.....

    ReplyDelete
  29. even Rockson dropped a comment!

    hey...our dr bl og really rocks, man!!!!

    YOU ARE THE CHAMPION!!!!

    geno

    ReplyDelete
  30. I don't mind acknowledging my doctor/s. And it's a pleasant surprise if he or she recognises me outside the clinic.

    But then, doctors are so rushed for time, they rarely exchange pleasantries with patients. So if we don't acknowledge them, that mostly because we are afraid to impose (doctors also need their private time what...)

    There was only 1 time I did not want to acknowledge a doctor coz

    1) He ran after me, after I stepped out of his room to walk to the waiting area, asking whether I mentioned runny nose earlier (I didn't). Wahlau, should have checked with me in the room.

    2) He was drinking beer with a bunch of beng-like people at a hawker centre. Too surreal for me.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous1:24 PM

    that rockson not real rockson la

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous1:28 PM

    dr og,by your comment above it shows that the rest of non married ones are not worth loving. cos they are not even sincere about making a female friend. contradictory to an earlier statement

    ReplyDelete
  33. yah rockson prolly fake one

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous1:53 PM

    I totally agree with poor traveller. I surely will smile and acknowledge my doctor but the question is whether doctors want to smile back and acknowledged their patients? I know most doctors don't.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous @ 1:28 PM :

    Huh?

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous2:08 PM

    I had drinks with my doc at night after consultation in the morning.. not sure if it's 'crossing the line'.

    Zhe bin, you should just say hi to the bus stop gal lah. There's no harm in that right?

    ReplyDelete
  37. fake Rockson!?

    D'oh!!!!!(Homer style)

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous2:49 PM

    Dr Bl og,

    might have been the mention of your WIFE in your previous entries before you tried to kill this blog heh.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous3:26 PM

    I don't say hi to my GP too, even though he lived really nearby and i often bumped into him when i went to the nearby hawker centre.

    It's just weird. Anyway, he pretends not to recognise me either.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous3:54 PM

    anon@1:28pm: I mean in the previous statement dr blog said he is very interested to have some chio bo friend, then in the next statement, it said the non married doctors love only monkeys. strange remark

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous3:54 PM

    anon@1:28pm: I mean in the previous statement dr blog said he is very interested to have some chio bo friend, then in the next statement, it said the non married doctors love only monkeys. strange remark

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous3:54 PM

    anon@1:28pm: I mean in the previous statement dr blog said he is very interested to have some chio bo friend, then in the next statement, it said the non married doctors love only monkeys. strange remark

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous3:55 PM

    hi is your dr bl og team all doctors or also got other category of healthcare workers?

    ReplyDelete
  44. "....Borned to a narcissistic mother whose preoccupation was blogging, BL Og was destined to be screwed. He was finally driven to madness by the emeshed relationship with his mother. Now he is deluded and thinks that he is a real Dr...... He now works in State General, a hospital in the island of Monkey REpublic. His clientèle consists of mostly the inhabitants of the island, monkeys. He is strictly an animal doctor..."

    Well, I was destined to be screwed. As a result, Dr BL Og also has more than one personality. Since we are Dr. BL Og, we are doctors. =)

    anon@1:28pm: Hmm... you posted thrice. Must be upset with Dr BL Og. Or your mouse button spoilt. Well, Dr BL Og is interested in chio bu-s. And Dr BL Og is not into bestality. Not at all. =)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Anonymous7:25 PM

    just wondering

    is this dr blog the name with the previous blog??

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous8:22 PM

    anon@1:28pm: not at all upset. but somehow the page hanged and frantically clicked thrice.

    hmm, pardon me what's bestality?
    So how many drs in Dr Blog team?
    and how many within the team love chio bos?

    looks like dr blog @ 5:16pm more gentlemanly than dr blog @12:33pm.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous8:24 PM

    there is one of the dr bl og team who wrote very well. the one who initially started off the whole thing

    ReplyDelete
  48. There was once a bear, a very smart bear chased by a hunter through the forest. Though the bear did nothing wrong, he was still hunted.

    The smart bear decided to use some wood and made replicas of paws. He used these paws and made different tracks through the forest.

    The hunter became confused and did not know where the bear actually went.

    And they lived happily ever after.

    =================

    Just a nice little story to brighten up all your days.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous11:59 PM

    xiaoming, I think it's the same dr(s) bl og. Gotta trust a gal's instinct ;)

    ReplyDelete
  50. Anonymous12:16 AM

    See, what sexy med student said is very true most doctors don't acknowledged or pretend not to see their patients at all. Never heard of doctors wanting to befriend patients.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anonymous5:27 PM

    If it's a yan dao doctor, you make the patient's day by acknowledging esp if it's a her:P day

    ReplyDelete
  52. Eh... sometimes if the patient is a "him" it works just as well. Please read earlier post on "HO, Please glove up"

    ReplyDelete
  53. Anonymous9:48 AM

    Scenario: Fren and I stepped out of restaurant after lunch, in the vicinity of his workplace.

    Lady: (Smiling brightly) Hi, Dr. X!
    Fren: (smiled back) Hello,....

    [couldn't hear the rest of conversation as i politely stepped away and wait for fren @ a distance]

    Me: one of your regular patients?
    Fren: think so.. don't recognize her actually..

    he's a damn good actor, as he was chatting away with her like he remembered and knew her personally!
    ... he sure made that aunty's day. :P

    ReplyDelete
  54. anon 9.48pm: this person can't be lokun la! too wasted! should be sales man, or actor!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anonymous7:45 PM

    my fren says that he was being "diplomatic". He's a good dr, that's why popular with his patients.

    Understandable tt drs can't remember all their patients, imagine seeing 60 patients/day over many yrs. They'll remember particular medical cases thru out their career which one day they'll record in their blogs.. but not all the patients...

    now, i'll only acknowledge to my drs after they make some indication that they recognize me... else, i'll end up like that aunty... better to spare the dr the awkward feeling too if he/she doesn't recognizes the patient. :)

    Anon 9.48am

    ReplyDelete