Receive patient with a smile

 Whilst consulting your patient don't be mechanical and stereotype. Develop an approach which helps you to remain relaxed and joyous even after examining many patients. In order to have a Holistic effect on the patient, a smiling face is a fundamental necessity. This may be your 25th or 30th patient, but you are the first doctor for the patient to whom he is going to narrate his problems and difficulties, When a patient detects signs of tiredness or seriousness on the doctors face, he tends to think that the doctor is not interested in him.

A few years ago a bus carrying members of a local Raja Yoga Centre met an accident. There were several persons who suffered fractures. I took a few patients to a known  radiologist for X-Rays. Maybe he was tired at the end of the day because he neither received us with a smiling face nor showed any enthusiasm to do the needful. My perception was that although he is known to me he was not interested in helping the patients. So maybe in future it would be better to take the cooperation of another radiologist. Such minor lacunas on the part of the doctor can have a traumatic effect on the patient's mind and one may lose that patient for ever. You may relax for a while after examining some patients, if you feel tired, but never show signs of tiredness on your face in front of your patient. Develop a sense of humor, laugh and make your patients laugh too. This is an antidote to tiredness and stress.

A popular saying goes, You need not have a face which makes you look in the mirror often but have such a face which makes people look at you often." Another tricky situation is while dealing with children. In our society many parents tell their children, "If you don't keep quiet, I will take you to a doctor who will give you an injection." Hence, the child always associates the visit to a doctor with fright and pain. His fears are all the more reinforced when he observes seriousness on the doctor's face. In order to treat children holistically, do spare a couple of minutes talking to the child in a friendly manner so that his misconceptions are erased. You can make use of toys or chocolates to attract the child and make him feel comfortable. Although the above is not part of your medical practice this could make your job very easy in treating children.