National Doctors' Day | What's The Best and Worst Thing About Being a Doctor?

Ahead of National Doctors' Day on 1 July, FIT asked doctors what the best and worst things of their profession are.

Doctors tell FIT the best and worst things about their profession.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/FIT)

Video Producer & Editor: Garima Sadhwani

Fancy perks, private practice, respect in the community.

Long work hours, distrust in the system, and increasing cases of violence against them.

Is being a doctor a boon or a bane in India today?

Ahead of National Doctors' Day on 1 July, FIT asked six doctors what the best and worst things of their profession are.

'Helping Patients, Receiving Gratitude': Best Part of Being a Doctor

Dr Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant, Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, firmly believes that the best part of his job is seeing patients go home healthy and making them feel better.

Dr Neha Rastogi Panda, Consultant, Infectious Disease, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, agrees with Dr Modi. She says,

"You are considered to be the contributor of one's life, one's well being, and one's health."

Dr Rahul Gupta, Director, Neuro and Spine Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Noida, too says that there's no greater joy than helping in the recovery of a critical patient.

The respect and veneration that patients and their families have towards doctors is a plus point too.

Dr Nitin Leekha, Director, Cancer Care & Oncology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, says that being a part of someone's suffering and helping them through it all is a thing of gratitude for him.

'Violence Against Doctors, Long Hours': What's on The Other Side

But all is definitely not rosy. There have been increasing cases of violence against doctors in the news recently.

"The anguish that some people have against doctors leads to doctors losing their lives due to mob mentality."

Dr Tarun Sahani, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Delhi

Dr Panda concurs. She also feels that doctors are not considered humans, but robots or superhumans, who cannot be accorded the luxury of having a personal life.

Dr Atul Mathur, Executive Director, Interventional Cardiology and Chief of Cath Lab, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla Road, New Delhi, has a similar concern.

"A doctor is always working 24x7, available for patients at all hours, with very little private time," says Dr Mathur.

For more, watch the full video!