Doctor, Who is a Good Physician?

"The art of (modern) medicine consists ofmeantime, the patients suffer and pay a high
amusing the patient while Nature cures theprice, only because of the insensitivity of the
disease." -- Voltaire"experts" who claim to have their best interests
The Challengeat heart.
As the world and its diseases become moreI must also at this point commend greatly, those
complex and multifarious, so the life-works of anyphysicians on both sides of the divide who have
Physician become more challenging. Challenging intaken the very bold and brave steps to ensure
the sense that various factors includingthat some form of integration and cooperation
information regarding new or old diseaseexists between healthcare providers, regardless
phenomena he or she has to deal with may eitherof their system or branch of medical practice.
be scanty, not readily available or continuallyAnd this they have done very successfully
changing.without compromising standards or jeopardizing
To be successful, a physician (or doctor) musttheir own practice. That is how it should be.
therefore be factual, realistic and honest,Physicians, Doctors or Healthcare Providers or
objective and rational, investigative, open-minded,Healers, whatever their branch of Medicine, should
creative, dynamic, versatile, enterprising,emulate the example of the genuinely, honest,
resourceful, strong-willed and productive. Intruly wealthy people who are naturally creative
essence, he or she must be able to createproblem-solvers and workaholics.
positive health values, by providing lasting and orIf I am proficient in my practice and you are
enduring safe, effective, affordable solutions in theproficient in yours, we should only love, respect,
services rendered to individual patients, clients andadmire, understand and cooperate with each
to society. Then he or she becomes an asset ofother for our talents and abilities. Then as
inestimable value to the immediate society ofsituations demand, cooperate and pull our
domicile and to the world he or she lives in.resources together to enhance the productive
The Core Qualitiesvalue of the profession, thus providing a
The performance, efficiency, effectiveness andbroad-based, much larger operating platform and
worth of any Physician depends on the timelylong-term mutually beneficial playing ground for us
acquisition of the relevant knowledge, from theand society; always remembering that the
right sources, which then greatly enhances his orpatients are the main purpose of our calling.
her creativity and resourcefulness, culminating inWe should always remember this: Our job is to
the materialization of his or her inherent potentialsprovide service that guarantees long-term positive
and ultimately the ability to provide the muchhealth values and benefits to mankind through our
needed solutions to the patients.work.
This is so because there will be a vortex ofWhat Is Your Contribution To The Impending
intellectual energy, an abundance of basic andCatastrophe?
advanced knowledge only waiting to be tapped onRight now, eradication of malaria should be our
from within. Therefore, the quality of servicefocus! It has become a global problem only
provided or skills applied are directly proportionalbecause the situation has remained unchecked for
to the kind and or amount of requisite knowledgeso long. In order to avoid a catastrophe of
that a physician has. Hence, pompous expressions,monumental proportions, what the world needs
grammatical verbosity intertwined withnow very urgently is a massive outpouring of
professional arrogance plus the acquisition ofhuman and material resources plus the expertise
fanciful state-of-the-art gadgets, do not make aof knowledgeable skillful minds and hands. What is
person a good physician unless backed by theyour contribution to this effort?
true knowledge of the Art and Science of Healing.Time For Discipline, Restraint and Objectivity
And it should also be noted that the Art andPhysicians should stop engaging themselves in
Science of Healing (which is dynamic in nature) isunproductive and or damaging verbal, physical or
quite different from the mere curing of diseasesintellectual "warfare" against perceived
(which is mostly performed by rote).competitors or "opponents"; all arising mainly from
Creative Scientific Inventions As Practice Toolsfear, envy, personal insecurity, masked
In fairness to the inventors and manufacturers ofincompetence, pecuniary motives, arrogance,
these devices used in medical practice, I admiregreed, possessiveness, self-righteousness, political
and greatly commend their efforts, because theyand religious considerations or a combination of
are products of the ingenuity and creativity ofthese and more.
electronic, electrical, mechanical, computer andDiscipline and conscious efforts should be made to
other engineers; designed solely as externalalways concentrate on providing the best service
(non-medical) resources to help or assist theand skills that we can possibly give by virtue of
physician or allied professional, in the investigationour training and knowledge. Mediocre performers
(or intervention) of difficult or unclear cases.and those who do not meet the required criteria
Whoever uses them must then be conversantand or standard expected of them by their
with this fact.patients will naturally phase themselves out of
The final decision therefore, rests with thepractice due to non-patronage. The expectations
attending physician, who by virtue of his or herfrom Society are high and therefore call for
knowledgeable position has the responsibility ofrestraint, rationality and objectivity in our
interpreting correctly the results of tests orthoughts, words and deeds.
investigations made; and then provides theThat does not require initiatory force,
appropriate solution to the problem if he or sheharassment, coercion, intimidation or draconian
has prepared himself or herself well for it.laws or regulations directed at certain individuals,
"Modern" versus Natural and Holisticgroups or system of medical practice. Sponsored
While most "modern" physicians or health carepropaganda, distortion of facts and reality, and
practitioners focus on gross disease and diseaseoutright blackmail against perceived successful
phenomena, in line with modern materialisticcompetitors, individuals or groups of different
methods, intelligent physicians who understand thebranches of medical practice or so called
real nature of most diseases and their proximate"enemies" do not make one a Good Physician.
causes will fix attention on the persons with theseSooner or later, the facts will be exposed and the
diseases - the Natural and Holistic approach. In thistruth known.
way, each case becomes an exciting andStandardized Ethics and Code of Conduct
rewarding adventure in Nature for both doctorWithout prejudice to all that has been said, it must
and patient, as a lasting cure will be found for thebe emphasized that standardized acceptable ethics
ailment.and code of conduct in health care practice, as in
A Curious Fact Of Life - Learning From Anall other professions, is a sine-qua-non for
Uncommon Groupeffective and orderly practice. There should also
Here is a curious fact of life, which I havebe a guarantee of individual freedom, protection
confirmed in the course of my practice. Theand rights under the law as enshrined in each
genuinely, honest, truly wealthy people do notnation's constitution.
envy themselves or others. Rather, they exhibitThe finer aspects of our personalities should
exceptional humility to love, respect, admire,however, be always manifest in our exemplary
understand and cooperate with each other forconduct, especially when dealing with issues that
the life-enhancing contributions made and positivehave to do with the lives and health of the people
values that they have been able to create forwe serve. Positive and rational discretion must be
themselves, for humanity and to society or theexercised in carrying out our duties.
world they live in.But to hide under the guise of officialdom in
Therefore, following exigencies of situations asenforcing "law and order", to perpetrate injustice,
they arise, they are quick to recognize thepromote intimidation, oppression and apartheid
importance of pooling together their individual oragainst one's neighbour is reprehensible and totally
group resources to resolve a common problem.unacceptable in today's world. That is against the
This then informs their need to cooperate withnorm of civilized conduct, which should be
each other and leads to the formation ofcondemned and where found to be in practice,
formidable alliances, unions and or mergers instopped. As that type of attitude will only
order to consolidate, protect and expand theirpromote mutual distrust amongst health care
knowledge base, operational capabilities andpractitioners and further prevent our brightest
productive platforms.and the best from ever revealing for the benefit
This move also ensures in the long term, thatof all, what they know in combating the myriad of
they always have control over their situations,diseases that we have to deal with in today's
operational environment and consequently"modern" world.
increased yield in productive value exchanges;The Only Goal and Duty of A Good Physician
ultimately leading to improved monumental wealthTherefore, I submit that our only goal as
creation for them and to society.Physicians is to be Good; that is to be of positive
The Good Example To Emulateproductive value by preventing healthy people
Physicians should emulate this attitude and do thefrom being sick and making sick people healthy -
same. There is absolutely no need to struggle andin other words, to heal by virtue of the
fight for supremacy in the medical field or engageknowledge and the resources at our disposal.
in unceasing intellectual prattle so as to appearThat is our ONLY calling or duty.
learned. It seems those who engage in suchLet us all who have chosen this noblest of
practices are unaware that there is more thanprofessions be true Good Physicians!
enough playing ground for everyone. In the