Cut Practisitis - an epidemic among indian docs

This epidemic is spreading fast, gripping hundreds of new docs everyday. In this disorder, a simple thank you does not suffice. There is a need to show gratitude with an envelope filled with cash.

A specialist affected with this ailment, will give/receive a cut from the following people -

1. The GP's cut - First he will go hunting around for every general practitioner he can find. He will beg them to send him patients. When the GP does send him one, He will pay him a cut of up to 40% of his fees. If he falters, no more patients for him.
   
   
2. The Pharmacist's cut - He will convince the patient to buy medicines from a particular pharmacy. He will praise that pharmacy so much, the poor patient will think that all other drug stores are selling water and sugar tablets in the name of medicine. In return he will get a fat cut.

3. The Radiologists cut - 'can I get this sonography done at another place ?' just try and ask him that question. He will look at you as though you have just murdered someone. Of course the real reason is a fat cut.

4. The Pathologist's cut - Don't get the investigations, he has asked for, done at another lab (other than the one specified by him). In all probability he will throw the reports out of the window and ask you to get them repeated. Any guesses why ?
   
   
5. The Peon's cut - As soon as he enters the hospital, he will start shelling out cash to the peon, watchman, lift man, ward boy & anybody else he can find. Why ? so that when the right patient walks in, he is immediately sent to him.
   

These are just a few basic cuts. There are many more, with newer ones coming up all the time.
Ironically, this is a much sought after disorder. Everyone wants it. This is because it offers protection from another disorder, a disorder called poverty !

My Journey

I came into this world in the year 1977. My mom said the doctor used a forceps to grab my head and pull it out ..... imagine that!! He squashed my delicate cranium like a lemon !! ... a head injury on my first journey. That was the start of my brain damage.
when I was 3 I fell from the top of the stairs..... the result - Head injury 2 & some more brain damage.
I attribute the course my life took up to now and the future to this early brain damage.
.....I started getting very good grades in school ! .... I started becoming very competitive (definitely would not recommend that to anyone) ..... I would be sad when I had to miss school (O my God !)
people told me 'become a doctor son', 'you'll make a lot of money', 'people will respect you', 'you'll be paid just to write a prescription'
It was my very impressionable mind at that young age coupled with the brain damage that made me decide to become a doctor. Maybe it was in the genes. You see half of my mothers cousins were doctors, so I can’t rule that out.
I had a tough time getting into med school…. But I managed …why? Obviously for all those rewards at the end.
So I struggled, I studied, I had sleepless nights. To say that I worked hard was an understatement ….but those promised fruits kept me going.
Then graduation day came, but it came alone. When I asked for my due rewards, I was rudely told that ‘a MBBS alone has no value in today’s world son, you have to specialize!’
Oops! It took me a while but I started to accept the reality of the situation. Ok boss, specialize karega (I will specialize)
I was impressed with orthopaedics, it seemed at the time to require more hands than brains. I mean how difficult could nuts & bolts get, right? Besides the branch added a kind of mechanical flavor to medicine and I liked that.
I guess a lot of people shared my views cos it was the toughest branch to get. So take another branch ….no ! Excited by the challenge my damaged brain took over, & I went for it.
Orthopaedics I got but after a long 2 year wait.
Starting my residency, I realized I was only partially correct. Mechanical it was, but easy it wasn’t. For the first time in my medical career, I had difficulty even understanding the subject. As we often say in India…. Sab kuch sir ke upar se gaya ! (everything went over my head)
So again I struggled, I studied, I had sleepless nights…..but this time it was twice as tough. graduation day came, but guess what, it came alone! Kya hua bhaiya? (what happened?)
I was rudely told ‘Orthopaedics has become a general branch now son, you have to specialize’ I could not believe it. So now I am back to square one. In a state of shock. I am waiting for my damaged brain to take over & get accepted at a fellowship program ….thats what they call specialization now! But I am not putting too much hope into it as I am sure I will get another rude answer at the end of it. So here I am waiting for that elusive thing known as success!