Doctors can heal people, but a good doctor’s
inspirational words can give a person the strength to fight from within.
What does
it take to be a good doctor? It takes a large amount of intelligence,
motivation, and preparation to get into medical college. Once in the field,
what does it take to succeed?
Dr Pillai is a well-known name in medical education. He is the chairman of Kings
International Medical Academy. He has been instrumental in bringing quality
medical education to several deserving candidates at affordable costs. His
institution KIMA is words no. 1 residential institute of India with proficiency
in mentoring the aspirants for NEET/FMGE.
According
to Dr. David Pillai, A doctor's job is not just to diagnose illness and
prescribe treatment. It also includes preventing illness and advising patients
on how to live healthy lifestyles. It requires empathy and compassion, the
ability to comfort and support patients suffering from illness. It demands
excellent bedside manner, patience with difficult questions, and a willingness
to take time to make sure that patients understand what they need to do. In a
profession as challenging and rewarding as medicine, one must be very motivated
and determined to succeed. Along with the required clinical knowledge, certain
qualities make a good doctor.
Let’s hear
from Dr Pillai about the Qualities beyond clinical qualification to be
a successful Doctor.
Strong
Work Ethic- Going the Extra Mile
Being a
doctor involves a lot of hard work and determination, like starting your day at
dawn, working through lunch breaks, and staying back late at work. A strong
work ethic enables doctors to consistently deliver high-quality care despite
these challenges. To be able to do this over the length of your career requires
incredible effort, stamina, and determination. There will always be more
patients who need help than you have time for, but being conscientious about
going the extra mile
Resilience-
Dealing with Failure
Let's face
it; failing is an inevitable part of life. The busy pace of modern life makes
it difficult for doctors to cope with failure effectively. It is often hard to
react calmly when faced with a professional or personal setback. Resilience is
how well you can deal with this failure, recover from it and continue learning
from it. It also helps you gain perspective on why things did not go well and
what you can do differently next time.
Communication
The
ability to understand what the patient is saying is one thing, but being able
to respond in a way that puts the patient at ease and builds trust is key.
Seems obvious, right? But communication is so much more than just talking and
listening. Good bedside manner requires emotional intelligence. It requires you
to be able to empathize with your patients and their families and communicate
with them at an appropriate level. Being able to communicate with other health
professionals is also crucial for a smooth functioning team environment.
Problem-solving
skills
Doctors
need to be able to think on their feet and make tough decisions under pressure.
Every case is different which means that practitioners need to know how to
evaluate information critically and come up with solutions for a range of
problems.
Emotional
Intelligence
Emotional
intelligence means having the capacity to control and express your emotions
when handling interpersonal relationships – including those with patients and
colleagues. It also means being able to confront difficult emotional issues for
patients sensitively and respectfully requires emotional intelligence.
Treatment
is not just about physical illness; Doctors treat patients’ health as a whole –
physical and mental. Emotional intelligence assists this.
Empathy
Last but
not the least, Empathy is a key element of emotional intelligence. Strong
empathy will help you connect with a patient and make them more comfortable
speaking to you. A doctor must be able to remain calm under pressure,
especially when dealing with life-threatening situations. If a patient is
panicking, showing signs of anxiety could make their condition worse. The
ability to remain calm is crucial in these types of situations.
Bottom
Line
A good
doctor takes time to understand the patient and their condition. This is key to
allowing the patient to explain their story and symptoms, which will help in
getting an accurate diagnosis. A good doctor should be able to put themselves
in the shoes of the patient and try to feel what they are feeling for them to
be able to get a better idea of how best to treat them. This does not mean that
a good doctor has to sympathize with their patients, but that they can
empathize with their patients, says David Pillai.