Day 33 – July 1, 2015

The surgery room at Pasam Trust

Wednesdays at Pasam are always busy. But I never realized why until today. Dr. Mas explained to me that no matter what he is there every Wednesday. If he takes any vacation, which I’m sure he rarely does, he makes sure to not skip Wednesday at the hospital. The patients in Kodaikanal and the surrounding villages may have to travel a couple hours walk to see him, and if they come expecting him and he is not there, they may never come again because they feel like he is not reliable. Though it may sound insignificant, the patients trust him to be there when they need him, and that if they need him he is sure to be there every Wednesday. Being a successful physician is not all about the skills or the intelligence, but also being consistently there for each and every patient. In today’s healthcare world, it is all about seeing many patients and getting good ratings. Though in reality, the most important job is the individual patient in a physician’s office at the moment. I hope in the future, I am sure to look after each patient as a unique individual who has fears, doubts, and a history that cannot be understood through a textbook. Only will this allow me to truly impact there life in a positive way.