Doctor Roshan R 🌍

He died by suicide at the age of 77. At the age of 77. He was rich. Zero financial woes. Let that sink in. In other parts of the world, senior doctors retire at 65 and enjoy the rest of their lives. It is not always about the money. In India, senior doctors are overworked because the public perception is that a senior doctor with many patients is always the best option, leaving hard-working, up-to-date, well-read junior doctors as "inexperienced" and with fewer patients. For a patient or their family a doctor who picks up their call at night and answers their silly questions at any time of the day or responds to a completely different patient query and vague reports send over Whatsapp is a "great, noble doctor." Doctors must start seeing this profession as a job, a means of earning comfortably and not get married to it. Take charge of your health. Take charge of your family life. Have your own small clinic set up to earn on the side, and not just a big hospital for you to drain yourself out. I know doctors who are heavy drinkers. Many doctors are depressed. They have nothing to look forward to except their patients. Diversify your actions. Do something beyond work. Work is not everything. Take small breaks. Travel. See places around. Play a bit in stock markets. Engage beyond the hospital. Play games. Take up a sport. Join a group. Visit new cafes. Learn to unwind. Doctor work culture is so toxic in India, toxic positivity has taken over most doctor lives here. To see more patients, perform more procedures, spend more time in the hospital, return home late, sleep lesser than the other doctor, wake up early and go to bed late - these are all considered "normal" for a doctor in India. This is not f*cking normal. It is an unhealthy obsession that will later take over your physical and mental health. The corporate medical world does not care for you, but you can care for yourself if you want to and have a comfortable life. It is possible, once you start thinking about it.