iRADiX

In our practice of Radiology, and especially in another country where the radiology services are quite not at par, we are under pressure to teach the fellow colleagues.

A ‘consultant’ is seen as a source of ‘new’ information and fellow medical colleagues are attracted like ‘bees’.

Often the situation becomes difficult to handle as in the case of my friend JS, who was travelling for the first time out of country to work in a new place. The pressure to teach on him was so overbearing that he succumbed to it and resigned from his job.

How should we deal with ‘pressure at work’?

Pressure can come from different quarters. It could just be ‘work pressure’, ‘peer pressure’ or pressure from the boss!

Out of these, ‘peer pressure’ is most difficult to handle, I personally feel.

A senior colleague of mine advised me on my first day at new job against teaching anyone.

I was taken aback!

We have always been taught in medical school to impart teaching to our junior colleagues and technicians. As junior resident, we have taught fresh residents of radiology and then as senior residents, we have taught junior residents.

We have always ‘tried’ to teach our fellow technicians to improve their skills.

In my private practice, I have taught numerous technicians and medical doctors the skills of conventional radiology and abdominal ultrasonography. To the extent that one of the medical doctor trained by me started his own ‘diagnostic centre’ close to mine and began competing with me by offering high ‘cuts’!!

It was then that I had vowed not to teach anyone the ‘art of ultrasound’!

New job?

When I took my new job, I was flooded by junior and senior colleagues showing interest to learn from me.

I decided to follow my conscience and stick to my vow.

But how could I have done it?

If I refuse bluntly, that would sound rude.

I once again turned to my senior colleague for advice.

He advised me against teaching any one the skills of radiology. Everytime anyone came up with a question, I was supposed to say –“Go and read from the books!”

Sounded little rude at first, but then I got used to it and found a softer way to say that.

This has also helped me to ward-off “keen nephrologists” approaching me to learn the technique of renal biopsy.

Or the ‘gastroenterologist’ or ‘hepatologist’ keen on learning techniques of ultrasound and liver biopsy. To the extent that one day I had to tell my colleague that I will teach ultrasound only on the condition that he teaches me endoscopy. He never came back to me with his request.

Thanks to my senior colleague, my work is quite peaceful now.