Repeating yourself

R W M Chow 周偉文

HK Pract 2003;25:39

Recently I watched a television interview of a very successful stage drama actor. During the interview, he mentioned that one of the greatest challenges for a performing artist is that of repeating oneself on stage. Some successful productions may be staged continuously for months and even years. Performing the same act and uttering the same words with the same group of people almost endlessly make the actor vulnerable to delivering "stereotyped" performances. For the actor, the thrill and excitement gradually wears off and the pleasure of acting is soon gone.

There are times when doctors maybe at risk of repeating themselves as well. It has been said that, for most professions, at least eighty percent of the work is routine. Only less than ten percent of daily work is really interesting and intellectually stimulating. Most doctors pursue a life-long career and only a handful change their career paths in any major way. Taken together, you are looking at many hours of routine work. That growing, negative feeling of being trapped into doing the same thing day after day may gradually wear down the doctor's morale. The resulting loss of interest and enthusiasm may be manifested during the consultation. The doctor may become impatient and find himself or herself giving stock answers to patients' questions. Patients are likely to notice this and think that their doctor is not as keen and caring as before.

What can we do about it? Should we even be bothered by it? The actor's own answer to this problem is worth quoting here. As soon as he realised that he was repeating himself on stage, he would remind himself that he is a professional and curtail his professional and social commitments to go back to study the script carefully all over again. As he studied it, he would endeavour to unearth new ways of interpretation, fishing out minor details that he had overlooked before and above all, to rediscover the pleasure of acting.

Amidst the turmoil and confusion in the medical profession, many doctors still hold on to the belief that it is still a privilege and an honour to be a medical doctor. While many patients have begun to question the doctor's authority, many more still have great respect for their doctors. Society has, up until now, regarded medical practitioners as honoured members and it is up to the profession to maintain this, for nobody else will do it for us. Doctors having bad days may benefit from going back to the script like the actor. They can reflect on who they are, what their work is all about, what it is that patients and society want from them and, above all, to rediscover the pleasure and pride of doctoring.