The first day

We were posted in rural centre. Now the word rural is absolute, twelve hour power cuts, water directly from the bore well, supplies to be got from the city in bulk etc etc. I though, did not mind it, for I was one of those noble souls who gets satisfaction from serving the community. Well that was right up to the time social service blew up like a balloon in my face. It was my first day, neat apron, shoes polished, hair combed, dignity and professionalism oozing out of my every pore. My first patient was a lady who had spilt hot water on herself. Burns patients we classify them as. Skin assessed. My amazing experience (practically my first patient, but in theory I had a ton of experience having copied the answer on burns for three different exams.) tells me its no big thing. No treatment required. In the most serious voice I could acquire I inform the patient nothing was required. But rural mindset has it that if anything hot falls on the body a cream is a must (and for you city jackasses laughing I know most of you feel the same). Well I told them clearly (as clear as I can in local dialect of kannada) that its unnecessary at which point the husband of my patient remarks “avuru kaliavuru. Yenu gothiralla. Manege hogi fair and lovely hachana”(he is a person who is learning he does not know anything. Lets go home and put fair and lovely). Four and half years of medical training, hard work, millions of drugs learnt and all the clinical judgement replaced by fair and lovely. Boy did my ego get hurt… well that’s the start, to hear more about piles cured with tablets, a little TT injection for strength and rice reducing suture requirement keep logging in… ciao