Please Behave!

I was doing my clinic today. 

I called out for a patient's name, "Mrs V please?"

Mrs V stood up, and walked towards my clinic room. She had a confused look on her face. 

The first thing she said to me was, "Oh I thought I was seeing Dr Y?"

Dr Y is of course my consultant, and runs the clinic. I am his registrar. 

"Well, I am his registrar.  Dr Y is here today, but we do the clinic together. If you do not want to see me, I am more than happy for you to see Dr Y," I replied.

"Oh, but I have many questions to him."

"I can help answer them if that's ok with you?" I asked.

 

After a big mouthful and disgruntle, she sat down and let me review her. The environment in the room became rather awkward.

She began by asking me a question, "Dr Y said I was going to be listed into a trial for my condition. I have not heard anything about it. I want to be involved in any trials to get treatment for my condition."

This patient unfortunately has an untreatable degenerative condition. I read through the notes again, and read that Dr Y was thinking of recommending her into a few trials but didn't mention which one. 

So I told her, "I do not know which trials Dr Y has suggested. I will have to check with him. But I do not think that there is any trial that we are involved at present."

"Oh right, you see, that is why I want to speak to Dr Y because he knows what I am talking about." 

"Ok. I will speak to Dr Y. How else can I help you?" 

She asked me about an alternative medication for her leg problems.

I said, "If that does not work, why don't we try drug X? You can taper the current one, while we gradually increase the dose of the new tablet."

"Oh, are you sure? Would that be ok with Dr Y? Shouldn't you ask him first?"

By this point, my patience have reached its limit. I wanted to ask her to just stop fucking around, and just piss off.  

But, no, of course I didnt do that. Otherwise, I would be struck off from the medical council!!!

So I simply smiled and said, "You are more than welcome to check with him. But he will most likely agree with me. The side effects are A, B and C."

She wasn't too convinced but went along with it in the end. I had to get Dr Y to see her. He told her exactly what I just explained to her. 

It certainly made her happier. But I mean, come on, this behaviour is so NOT ON! How could you assume that I do not know what I am talking about?? 

I know I am petite, I know I look like a teenager, I know this is my first year into specialty training, and I know I am not a caucasian, but that DOES NOT mean you can judge me just like that. You have to give me a chance!