After few months, he/she realizes the eternal truth
behind a lucrative practice is not what he/she was taught in those three
years of extensive academic training but that there is much more to be
learnt. These guidelines enlighten you with the secrets behind a
flourishing practice – the deep rooted desire of any pediatrician.
1. Don’t underestimate the power of CCF: Here CCF
does not stand for congestive cardiac failure but is an eponym for
cough, cold and diarrhea. The secret to conquer the hearts of
innumerable mothers with their repetitive queries is to be well
acquainted with as much general knowledge about these diseases as
possible, and also throwing in some incomprehensible technical
microbiological terms like Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella
dysentery and Clostridium difficile. This will ensure
satisfaction and you will be acknowledged as the most intelligent,
knowledgeable and efficient pediatrician they have ever seen.
2. Recognize that the dictum in India is that
every child is malnourished in the eyes of the mother. For example,
if a child is 9 kg at 10 months and the mother is worried because
the present weight gain no longer matches the gain she meticulously
recorded in the initial months, smile (not sarcastically), take a
deep breath (do not sigh) and explain how to enhance the feeding
habits (not calories) rather than explaining the fundamental
principles of growth curves. Here showing off your knowledge about
age-appropriate weight criteria may not work!
3. Always be available on Whatsapp. This
has 2 major advantages: First, creating an impression of being
tech-savvy increases your credentials multifold. Second, parents can
send you pictures of stool smeared nappies accompanied by details of
color, consistency and amount of the stool with expressions of
regret that technology cannot transmit smell invaluable to making a
diagnosis.
4. Be extremely verbose: Pediatrics is more of
psychological consultation of parents rather than medical
consultation of the child. The more expressive and articulate you
are the better your practice is. If you belong to the strong and
silent category, there is a high risk of being rejected as
‘unsatisfactory and egotist’. This can be easily rectified by
joining coaching centers that teach you how to speak knowledgably at
length on any topic, however irrelevant.
5. Ensure that the interiors of your consultation
chamber are informative about your credentials. The walls should
display ornately framed certificates of national and international
conferences and CMEs attended since graduation days, with
international certificates placed in most prominent areas. Adding
the MBBS and MD degrees is optional. A display of conference
mementos and impressive/Voluminous books (even if you have not read
them once), in your chamber will attract more parents than actually
reading them all!
The aforementioned guidelines are evidence-based in
which extensive analysis of various case control studies (though with a
methodology formulated by me) was undertaken. Anyone following these
will definitely have a successful practice.