AETCOM

Attitude, Ethics and Communication

Learning Modules for MBBS Professional Year I
Competencies for the
Indian Medical Graduate
As Recommended by Medical Council of India
 AETCOM
Attitude, Ethics and Communication
Learning Modules for MBBS Professional Year I
Competencies for the
Indian Medical Graduate
As Recommended by Medical Council of India

Nitin Ashok John MD, DIH, PGDMLE, PGDHA

Professor and Head
Department of Physiology
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences
Lucknow, UP

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AETCOM
Learning Modules for MBBS Professional Year I
Competencies for the
Indian Medical Graduate
As Recommended by Medical Council of India

ISBN: 978-81-?????-??-?
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 Preface

I t gives us immense pleasure to author the theoretical aspects of

Atitude, Ethics and communication learning modules for MBBS
professional Year 1. The medical students need to be trained,
nurtuved and groomed in environment of high academic standard
with complete awareness regaining the professional qualities and
role of physician and need for ethics in medical practice as students
of today will be the practicing doctors of tomorrow.
The present module shall be immensely helpful to gain sufficient
knowledge and skills required to understand and practice the
intricacies and understand the need of noble attitude, ethics and
communication in medical profession.
The students should understand that the medical profession is
a life long commitment for learning and gaining knowledge and
skills so as they mature as experts they should develop the sense
of sincerinty, originality and noble, humble and sacrificial humane
personal least but not the least the doctors should understand the
apathy of patient in sickness and their word of solace in empathetic
manner goes in long way in developing confidence in patient and
facilitate their earl.
The lucid, integrated and comprehensive training will be
instrumental in developing a confidant doctor we wish the students
all success, seeking honour, becoming reeknown, aquing all
prosperity with done humility.

Nitin Ashok John

 Contents

Preface v

Module 1.1: What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 1

Nitin John
Appendix 1: History of Medicine 21
Appendix 2: Hippocratic Oath 49
Appendix 2: Anatomy Act 52

Module 1.2: What it Means to be a Patient? 54

Maria Pauline

Module 1.3: Doctor Patient Relationship 64

Shenoy K

Module 1.4: The Foundations of Communication—1 68

Sanjay Andrew

Module 1.5: Cadaver as Our First Teacher 86

Krishna Garg

Index of Competencies
 1.1

What Does it
Mean to be a Doctor?
Nitin John

Learning Objective Background

The main aim of introducing this topic is to make students aware of the
profession they have chosen as career, there duties and responsibilities
towards the profession and community, prospective challenges they will
be exposed to during learning and clinical practices and their career
prospects. The students are to be trained and there thinking modulated to
achieve excellence in there career and as they proceed in there journey of
medical studies there will be optimistic and charged up with enthusiasm to
learn and adapt the clinical acumen and skill so as to achieve the best
performance in all medical professional examinations, post graduate
entrance, post graduate studies and moreover aiming high to touch the skies.
The gist of the learning will be to understand the need of adequate
medical knowledge, skill and clinical acumen and acquiring noble virtues
and characteristics of selflessness, caring attitude, generosity, dedication
and devotion towards patient to become successful doctors.

Competency Achievement: The students after reading the chapter should

be able to:

Competencies addresses
The student should be able to: Level
1. Enumerate and describe professional qualities and KH
roles of a physician
2. Describe and discuss the commitment to lifelong learning KH
as an important part of physician growth
3. Describe and discuss the role of a physician in health KH
care system
4. Identify and discuss physician’s role and responsibility to KH
society and the community that she/he serves

1
 2 Aetcom

INTRODUCTION

The medical profession is noble and one of the most sought-after

careers worldwide. Many of the students nurture the desire to
become doctor from the time of toddler age. The parental pressure
at times may force student to enter the medical profession. The
students take this profession by virtue of their hard work, sincerity,
honesty, and devotion towards the academics throughout the
schooling and junior college. As they enter into professional college
they experience an environment of professionalism very different
from school life and while in their studies in the medical institute,
they undergo various pressure such as competitive studies for better
performance, peer pressure, psychological anxiety regarding future
career prospects, longer span of year of studies and so also
regarding delayed settlement in life as compared to their peers in
other profession. In the above process they gradually accustom
themselves learning and acquiring clinical skills and knowledge
and so also understanding the privileges, duties, responsibilities,
ethics and obligations towards patient and community in
medical profession. This chapter helps in understanding the role,
responsibilities and commitment of doctors towards patients and
society. It also emphasizes the need of continue medical education
and upgradation as an essential part in career development for
medical professionals.
General Medical Practitioner and Specialist: The medical students
pursuing MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery) degree after
graduation and completion of internship usually enter clinical practice
and are refereed as medical practitioners and the irduties is centered
towards promoting, managing and restoring physical and mental
health. The medical doctors who are working as General Duty
Medical Officerare referred as Medical Physician while those
specializing in internal medicine are referred as Medical Specialist
or depending on basis of specialization are called Pediatrician,
Ophthalmologist, Surgeon, ENT Surgeon, Obstetrician and
Gynecologist, Radiologist, etc.
Attributes of a Doctor: As a practicing doctor in private practice
or government institute, a humanistic doctor respectsall individual
in health or diseased and is considerate towards the patients and
their relatives, provides promotive, curative and preventive health,
employs effective communication skills while interacting with
patients, impart unbiased advice, carefully listens to patients
apathy, And is sympathetic towards patients, seeking informed
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 3

consent in all decisions related to patients health and patients health

care need and ensures patients physical wellness.

Professional Qualities of Physician

1. Moral Intellect Practices with Responsibility and Accountability:
The doctor with moral intellect practices medicine as per the
ethical guidelines laid by the medical council with uttermost
sincerity, devotion, dedication, commitment, selfless service,
sense of responsibility and readiness for accountability for the
positive happening or negative mishaps while he is imparting
is medical knowledge and skills in treating patients.
2. Ethical and Legal Codes of Conduct: A responsible doctor
practices principle of informed consent and confidentiality in
true sense in his health care delivery. He/she has adequate
knowledge of medico-legal, societal, ethical and humanitarian
principles influencing health care. Thus, to conclude he/she
is aware and able to manage ethical and professional conflicts
and abides by ethical and legal codes of conduct and practice
guidelines.
3. Personal Attributes: He is kind, compassionate, accommodative,
humanistic, honest, a better listener towards his patient
misery, and provide peace, solace and confidence to the patient
for their speedy recovery.
4. Knowledge and Skills: A good doctor shall use all their wits
and knowledge, employing all their clinical acumen and skills
in saving patients health and imparting new life.
5. Practices Pertaining to Specialization: A good doctor limits
his practice to skills and specialization achieved by him and
tenable as per national medical council, government body and
health mission guidelines. Never indulge in any medical
practices outside his/her domain. He/She is ready to seek
second opinion on request of his patients.
6. Professional Conduct: A good doctor maintains his conduct
towards his patients, his professional colleagues and
community as per professional conduct of noble and dignified
approach as recommended by code of ethics recommended
by medical council of India.
7. Avoids Publicity: A good doctor is humble and believes in
services rather than publicity. He/she does not use services
of any media for publicity of his clinical practices for examples
 4 Aetcom

distribution of pamphlets, advertising through TV Channels,

radio services, etc.
8. Relevant Referrals: A good doctor never makes unnecessary
referrals for investigations or opinion unless condition
warrants need in true sense. He/she can identify need for to
refer patients who needs specialized or advanced tertiary care.
9. Growth of the Medical Profession: A good doctor is
committed to the growth of the medical profession by their
selfless services to patient and society.
10. Adequate Knowledge of Disease and Health Care Delivery:
A good doctor as adequate knowledge of anatomy, physiology
and pathology of human body especially its organ system
especially pertaining to its cellular and biochemical basis and
can differentiate between its clinical, behavioural and social
perspective. A good doctor can differentially diagnose and
interpret investigative data in order to address patients
problems.
11. Participation in National and Regional Health Care Program:
They have adequate knowledge of national and regional health
care policies and modes to impart an economically viable and
effective patient-oriented health care.
12. Communication Skills: A good doctor is an excellent
communicator and elicit history of disease from patient/and
or his relatives; a history that is complete in all aspects and
helps to easily diagnose the disease and this is immensely
helpful in patient’s management.
13. Practices with Caution and Care: A good doctor maintains
accurate, detailed and appropriate records of the patient
treated by them in order to facilitate follow up management
and if required in cases of conformation required in case of
medical litigation and administrative frameworks.
14. Altruism: A good doctor shall ensure patients interest over
self; especially their wishes in reference to preferred line of
management. Any error by omission or commission as part
of altruism must be disclosed to patient and medical hospital
authorities as a noble practice methodology which otherwise
is not usually done.
Thus, a good doctor is one who is successful in disease prevention,
health promotion and cure, pain and distress alleviation, and able
to impart safe rehabilitation and palliative services.
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 5

Summary: Qualities of Good Doctor

• A Good Doctor is caring and loving, compassionate and kind.
• Comforting, assuring, alleviating patient’s misery with
conscientious mind.
• Listening, accommodating, comforting, energising patient with
peace and confidence.
• Being humanistic, honest, practicing confidentiality in practices
bears fruitful concordance.
• Nurture sense of hope, confidence, recovery, rejuvenation,
renewing a revive.
• Using all his clinical acumen and skills in saving patients health
imparting new life.
• Imbibe with knowledge, optimism, persuasive nature and
intellect philosophy.
• Selflessly serving sick and destitute with all his might, potential,
ability and generosity. Thus, a student of today will be the doctor
of tomorrow and he should maintain the dignity and higher
standard of attitude, behaviour and ethical practices as a part of
this noble profession.

COMMITMENT OF LIFE LONG LEARNING AN IMPORTANT PART

OF PHYSICIAN GROWTH
INTRODUCTION
The medical physician has a lifelong commitment towards learning
and they acquire knowledge and skills over the years as cumulative
effect achieving excellence by their quest and inner drive to acquire,
learn and adapt the advances in the medical field; especially in
their speciality of practices. This philosophy of continuous
lifelong learning of doctors help in improving effective health care
delivery.
Definition: Lifelong Learning Initiative: “Lifelong learning is
the progression and development of human potential by a
continuously supportive process which empowers an provide
impetus to a person in acquiring knowledge, values, skills, and
understanding so as to successfully employ these with confidence
and creativity in all arising circumstances and changing
environments during course of his life time in the profession he/
she practices”.
 6 Aetcom

Needs, Scope and Importance of Life Long Learning in

Physicians Growth

1. Self-assessment of their knowledge and skills: In order to keep pace

with recent advances in medical field the doctor realizes his strength
and weaknesses in practice by difficulty and ease they face while diagnosis
and management of clinical cases and thus they are able to recognize an
objective self-assessment of their knowledge and skills and this gives
them an impetus to continue learning and updating and upgrading their
existing knowledge and skills and thus they acquire new skills.
2. Employs gained knowledge in clinical practice: An efficient Physician
employs their gained knowledge and skills in treatment and management
of patient. Thus, it reflects their potential of introspection and utilization
of experiences, in promoting and enhancement of their personal
knowledge and thereby enhancing their professional growth and learning.
3. Lifelong Learning Methodologies: The doctors employ various techniques
in updating their knowledge and these includes participation in continue
medical education program, seminars and symposium on recent advances in
their speciality, attending and presenting papers in conferences, use of digital
media and Medlar Medline online libraries search engines by internet
browsing, reading latest journals and books, and also by enrolling in short term
or long term medical academic programs run by universities / health organization,
4. Choosing a career pathway: A characteristic trait of lifelong learning of
medical education eventually helps in to recognize and choose a suitable
career pathway which shall be professionally rewarding and personally
fulfilling his / her academic goals.
5. Imbibe the changed dynamics of the patient health care: The
advancement in scientific technology and innovations (Example:
Telemedicine and employing Artificial Intelligence) makes it essential
for physicians (doctors) to upgrade to understand and imbibe the changed
dynamics of the patient health care and its delivery.
6. Matching local area health care needs: The physicians also must match
the local area health care needs depending on the disease prevalent in
those areas, innovation in machinery-methodology of investigative
protocols and modified treatment regime of diseases, and state and nations
legislative initiatives (applicable laws consumer protection acts) and thus
arises the need and necessity of constant lifelong updating of knowledge.
7. Treatment in Chain: The treatment protocol of a chain of doctors involved
in management as seen in multispeciality hospitals (physician, neurologist,
cardiologist, radiologist, pathologist, etc.) makes doctor self-conscious
to keep update with knowledge of the day as they are constantly
interacting with each other for effective health care delivery. Old days
single doctor patient management care is gradually waning off.
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 7

8. Concept of health analytics : The concept of health analytics in effective

health practices has made need for health care benefit assessment more
necessary as the -increasing data sets available in open web domain
which are becoming standard for patients heath care evaluation has thus
warranted need by physicians to gain and update adequate knowledge’s
of statistics and interpretation as part of lifelong learning.
9. Changing Medical Laws and Ethics: The ethics guideline in clinical
practices are constantly upgraded and amended (examples: MTP (Medical
Termination of Pregnancy) Act, Organ Donation Act, etc.) hence it has
become must for Physician to update his knowledge in this relevance.
10. Reflects Persons Behaviour and Personality: A optimistic person always
seeks for knowledge and being self-motivated enhances his knowledge
and skills; as his personality traits are so.
11. Self-Learning or Learning at Work Place: This is an important mode of
active interactive learning by discussing with your senior professionals,
peers and supervisors.
12. Performance Appraisals by Superiors and inputs from Colleagues: This
stands as a very appropriate assessment for self-improvement unless some
work place biases exist in organization.
13. Evidence Base Practice and Learning: It helps in making sensible decisions
by analysing the choicest patient-oriented evidence with patient-centred
care available via research evidences and meta-analysis.

Conclusion
Lifelong learning helps to gain confidence in practice, moreover
the application of newly gained knowledge and skills is helpful in
managing patient and moreover the updated knowledge is
supportive of best evidence-based health care delivery outcomes
which has been analysed and studied by the lifelong progressive
learners. Physicians moral is higher if he is well versed with
recent advances and can guide the workforce under him/her
with confidence and commitment. They may also apply
recent advancement and innovation in reference to machinery
methodology and techniques in patient’s management.

ROLE OF PHYSICIAN IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
The physician primary role is to treat and manage diseases, health
educates his patients, relative and the health staff, participates in
implementing national health programs and contributes towards
 8 Aetcom

preventive and prophylaxis management especially in epidemics

and prevention of spreading of communicable diseases.

1. Role as Team Leader: The physician has multiple responsibility as team

leader and players a diverse role in coordinating, directing,
staffing, communicating supervising, and imparting effective health care
delivery.
2. Treatment and Management of Disease: The physician principle role is
in treating and managing of disease in patients.
3. Catering Heath Delivery: His role is of primary importance in catering
effective heath care delivery in primary (primary health centres at village
level) and secondary (at district level hospitals) and tertiary health care
(in municipality and city hospitals referral centre) settings
4. Role in Health Education: The physician role as educator is of prime
importance as they provide knowledge and help in sharpening the skills
of the work force (paramedics, nurses, technician, multipurpose worker
etc) and other members of the medical health care team and this helps in
maximizing the potential work output indirectly helping in providing
best medical health care.
5. Role as promoter of health economics and of social entrepreneur: The
physician while serving the society utilize the health care system and
health delivery in an appropriate, cost effective manner in concurrence
with the national health care policies and thus ensures economically
viable health care delivery preventing wastage of government
expenditures.
6. Role in Generating Health Care Data: The physician services are based
on ability to collect, analyse and utilize health data and available statistics
on effective. A physician may conduct survey and community based
statistical research to evaluate benefits of health care delivery, similarly
these data may serve as information for planning future health care
strategies.
7. Role in Prevention of Diseases: They employ preventive measure strategies
to prevent spreading (communicating) of diseases in the community. They
promote and recommends life style changes in management of diseases.
8. Role in improving quality of life and life span: The physician by provide
therapeutic, curative, preventive and rehabilitative services thus reducing
health burden in community, and thereby improving human quality of
life and life span
9. Role in management of epidemics: Epidemics of contagious diseases
may be life threatening and timely management and awareness (health
education) by doctors can help in reducing risk of catastrophic situations
as in epidemics.
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 9

10: Role as a Behavioural Therapist in Community: The physician practicing

with humanistic approach (treating with compassion and care) help
building in trust in patients and this has found to be effective in developing
confidence, solace and optimistic hope in patient thus this behavioural
approach hastens recovery. This doctor -patient trust in community
members (as a medical practioner are usually family doctors of many in
the society) stands as behavioural therapy approach in community-based
health care.
11. Role in building Professionalism and Respect towards Doctor
Community: The professionalism in practices by doctors such as abiding
by codes of ethics establishes high ethical standards and this helps in
looking forwards towards doctors with respect, trust and confidence by
community members thus establishing medical professions high esteem
in the community.
12. Role as trainers of present and future generation of doctors for
community: The physician provides on job training in teaching as well
as service hospitals thus are developing man force for future health care
delivery. This also help in improving the standard of patient care.
13. Role as authoritative sources on clinical standards: The physician
continues lifelong learning to update their medical knowledge thus they
are looked forward as authoritative sources on clinical standards and
practice for diagnosis and management by the community members for
seeking consultation if required.
14. Participation in National Health Care Program: The physician participates
in implementing various national health care programs in community
such as family welfare program, national tuberculosis management
program, national program for prevention of malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis,
etc.
15. Participating as Social Workers: The physician especially provides
honorary services in shelter homes, home for the aged, slums, prison, or
at a health provider NGO, etc. and thus provide social service to the
community.
16. Role in changing dynamics of the patient health care: The advancement
in scientific technology and innovations (Example: Telemedicine and
employing Artificial Intelligence) makes it essential for physicians to
upgrade to understand and imbibe the changed dynamics of the patient
health care and its delivery.
17. Provides services matching local area health care needs: The physicians
also must match the local area health care needs depending on the disease
prevalent in those areas, innovation in machinery-methodology of
investigative protocols and modified treatment regime of diseases, and
state and nations legislative initiatives (applicable laws consumer
protection acts).
10 Aetcom

ROLE OF PHYSICIAN TOWARDS SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY

1. Role as Team Leader: The physician has multiple responsibility as team

leader and players a diverse role in coordinating, directing, staffing,
communicating supervising, and imparting effective health care delivery
in community.
2. Treatment and Management of Disease: The physicianprinciple role is
in treating and managing of disease in patients. Thus, promoting curative
health and thereby reducing burden of diseases in the community.
3. Catering Heath Delivery in Community Services: His role is of primary
importance in catering effective heath care delivery in primary (primary
health centres at village level) and secondary health care settings (at
district level hospitals) as General Duty Medical Officers / Specialist.
Tertiary health care is usually provided by the specialist at city
hospitals. These efforts and services cater to community health care
needs.
4. Role in Health Education: The physician role as educator is of prime
importance as they provide knowledge and help in sharpening the skills
of the work force (paramedics, nurses, technician, multipurpose worker
etc) and other members of the medical health care team and this helps in
maximizing the potential work output indirectly helping in providing
best medical health care in community.
5. Role as Social Entrepreneur: The physician while serving the society
utilize the health care system and health delivery in an appropriate, cost
effective manner in concurence with the national health care policies
and thus ensures economically viable health care delivery preventing
wastage of government expenditures towards health management in
community.
6. Role in Generating Health Care Data: The physician services are based
on ability to collect, analyse and utilize health data and available statistics
on effective. A physician may conduct survey and community based
statistical research to evaluate benefits of health care delivery, similarly
these data may serve as information for planning future health care
strategies in society.
7. Role in Prevention of Diseases: They employ preventive measure
strategies to prevent spreading (communicating) of diseases in the
community. They promote and recommends life style changes in
management of diseases.
8. Role in improving quality of life and life span: The physician by provide
therapeutic, curative, preventive and rehabilitative services reduce health
burden in community, thus improving quality of life and life span of the
community members
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 11

9. Role in management of epidemics: Epidemics of contagious diseases

may be life threatening and timely management and awareness (health
education) by physiciancan help in reducing risk of catastrophic situations
as in epidemics.
10. Role as a Behavioural Therapist in Community: The physician practicing
with humanistic approach (treating with compassion and care) help
building in trust in patients and this has found to be effective in developing
confidence, solace and optimistic hope in patient thus this behavioural
approach hastens recovery. This doctor -patient trust in community
members (as a medical practioner are usually family doctors of many in
the society) stands as behavioural therapy approach in community-based
health care.
11. Role in building Professionalism and Respect towards Doctor
Community: The professionalism in practices by physician such as abiding
by codes of ethics establishes high ethical standards and this helps in
looking forwards towards doctors with respect, trust and confidence by
community members thus establishing medical professions high esteem
in the community.
12. Role as trainers of present and future generation of doctors for
community: The physician provide on job training in teaching as well as
service hospitals thus are developing man force for future health care
delivery. This also help in improving the standard of patient care.
13. Role as authoritative sources on clinical standards: The physician
continues lifelong learning to update their medical knowledge thus they
are looked forward as authoritative sources on clinical standards and
practice for diagnosis and management by the community members for
seeking consultation if required.
14. Participation in National Health Care Program: The physician participates
in implementing various national health care programs in community
such as family welfare program, national tuberculosis management
program, national program for prevention of malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis,
etc.
15. Participating as Social Workers: The physicianespecially provides
honorary services in shelter homes, home for the aged, slums, prison, or
at a health provider NGO, etc. and thus provide social service in the
community.

REFERENCES
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(7366): 711.
2. Becker JL, Milad MP, Klock SC. Burnout, depression, and career
satisfaction: cross-sectional study of obstetrics and gynecology
residents. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2006; 195: 1444–9.
 12 Aetcom

3. Wenger E. Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998
4. Davis DA, Thomson MA, Oxman AD, Haynes RB. Changing physician
performance. A systematic review of the effect of continuing medical
education strategies. JAMA 1995; 274: 700-5.
5. Mazmanian PE, Davis DA. Continuing medical education and the
physician as a learner: guide to the evidence. JAMA 2002; 288: 1057-60.
6. Epstein RM, Hundert EM. Defining and assessing professional
competence. JAMA. 2002; 287: 226–35.
7. Miflin BM, Campbell CB, Price DA. A lesson from the introduction of a
problem-based, graduate entry course: the effects of different views of
self-direction. Med Educ. 1999; 33: 801–7.
8. Bolhuis S. Toward process-oriented teaching for self-directed lifelong
learning: a multidimensional perspective. Learning Instruction. 2003;
13: 327–47.
9. Carlton KH. Redefining continuing education delivery. Computers
Nurs. 1997; 15: 17–18.
10. McCarthy M. Computer and internet: tools for lifelong learning. J Renal
Nutr. 2000; 10: 44–48.
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Assignments for Evaluation

1. Discuss the Professional Qualities of Physician.
2. Discuss the need, scope and importance of lifelong learning by Physician.
3. Discuss the role of Physician towards health care delivery.
4. Discuss the role of Physician towards Society and Community.

EXERCISE FOR STUDENTS

ASSIGNMENT I
Arrange a small Group Discussion exploring the mindset of
students regarding reasons for choosing medical profession, their
perception regarding privileges and the responsibilities of the
Doctor and Medical Profession, what are their future goals and
commitment for service towards the society

ASSIGNMENT II
Enact a role play depicting parents dream and your dream,
expectation and achievement in entering into medical profession
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 13

Sample Script
Parents Dream
This is dream of millions of youngsters preparing for the premedical
entrance test so was it for Abhisek and Annupriya.

Medical being a most respectable and noble profession its dream

of many parents to see their children become doctors not only for
fame and money but for serving the community and humanity too.
It is one of the local trains in Mumbai and travellers from Navi
Mumbai boarding the train at 8 am are busy chatting around …..
Mr Deshpande: Namskar Chowdry Saheb: How is life?
Mr Chowdry: Nothing real new friend, just busy with my sons
coaching for medical entrance.
Mr Deshpande: Oh its same here, my daughter Annupriya is
also trying her best for All India PMT and AFMC Pune MBBS
entrance exam.
Mr Chowdry: That’s good, but asked her to take over
Maharashtra PMT exam too.
Next station arrives where Mr Banarjee and Mr Lyer both officers
with State Bank of India join Mr Chowdry and Mr Deshpande who
are the regular co-passengers from suburb to Chatrapathi Shivaji
terminus.
Mr Chowdry: Hi Mr Banerjee, have your son filled the PMT
entrance exam form for AIIMS New Delhi?
Mr Banerjee: Well yes and Shantanu is also appearing for
JIPMER Pondicherry, BHU Varanasi, Aligarh Muslim University
and MGIMS Sewagram exams.
 14 Aetcom

Mr Iyer: Friends which is the best medical college to aim for?

Mr Banerjee: As per ranking made by some newspaper AIIMS
stand first, second is AFMC Pune, third is CMC Vellore and fourth
is JIPMER Pondicherry, but this ranking changes every year but
all said and done studying from government medical college is
something good.
Mr Iyer: But my daughter Malini is mediocre student and is
planning to join any private medical college preferably under state
or central university. Deemed university has its own pros and cons.
One fellow passenger introduces herself as Mrs Poonam Verma
Public Prosecutor in Bombay High Court starts conversing…
Mrs Poonam Verma: I heard that fees in private medical colleges
are very high approximately parents have to shell 1 crore for the
five years of study, Is it really worth the expenditure?
Mrs Jaspreet Arora: A school principal in the next chair to
Poonam exclaims: That’s worth the bargain; my nephew who did
MBBS, MD from KEM is now settled in London and married a
MRCOG Gynaecologist form Ludhiana. They are minting money
like anything.
Another co-passenger: Mrs Kulkarni office clerk with PWD: My
brother son is leading Cardiologist practicing in Pune and his wife
a Radiologist. Both have made it great in career and are having
many mansions.
Mrs Jaspreet Arora: My daughter Tina has completed her MBBS
from Lady Harding’s New Delhi and has cleared her USMLE part
I and waiting for her Residency posting in US.
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 15

Mr Iyer: It is time to get down, all the best for the day friends.
Whispers of bye… bye… as the group get down at CST.
Its Bombay chowpathy or Marina beach Chennai, its busy bus
travellers of Kolkata or Chat at tea stalls of Banaras; the dream of
Aaam Admi—Can my child should become a doctor?

PRE-MEDICAL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION

The story behind the hard work dedication and devotion to clear
medical entrance is not that easy. The dreams of parents start from
toddlers where parents aspiring medical profession for the children
purchase doctors set a play toy when child is two years.
The Grand Pa and Grand Ma reminds him/her at every play
time—Munna bada doctor bannega; Hamari Munni bai doctorni hogi.
HSSC board exams are over and students are rushing to PMT
centres to have a last go through at one of the leading centres in
New Delhi.
Abhisek: I have completed two revisions of test notes, revised
over my CBSE textbooks for tenth time since I started my prep for
PMT after passing my SSC exam.
Anurag: I have completed reading and memorising the NCERT
textbooks for XI and XII standard.
Shanti: I hope boys you have practice solving the multiple choice
questions in addition to that I have updated myself with general
knowledge questions referring the latest books.
Kokila: Well Shanti you had been a cat throughout your career!
Mousmi: I wish, I will get through AIIMS entrance exams.
Radhika: Friends, I want to serve Indian Army and am mainly
targeting for AFMC entrance.
Ranjan: Radhika—you have to clear the interview too for AFMC.
Dinesh: For me JIPMER will be the best since my maternal home
town is Pondicherry.
Rajesh: Better appear for all, BHU Varanasi, MGIMS Sewagram,
St John Medical College Bangalore and of course All India PMT.
Marina: I will be in Kerala; many of my seniors have done well
in PMT after being trained in Thrisur PMT study centre.
Subramanian: Madras Medical College is my choice, well Stanley
or Kilpauk medical college will be fine too. I have to score centum
in XII board exam and my dreams are through.
 16 Aetcom

Subhashish: Any government medical college in Kolkata will

be too good for me.
There are lakhs of students appearing for few thousand seats in
medical colleges. Elite class parents prefer booking MBBS seats two
to three years in advance; by paying the annual package about a
crore or so. Dreams come through and joy in the families of
successful candidates knows no bound.

ASSIGNMENT III
Arrange a panel discussion of senior doctors as speakers who shall
share their experience of the profession

ASSIGNMENT IV
Self Directed Learning: Search literature and speak as an elocution
presentation on the topic
Medical Profession as a Career

ASSIGNMENT V
Draw and colour a picture depicting your perception about career
in Medicine

ASSIGNMENT VI
Arrange a visit to the hospital.

ASSIGNMENT VII
Reflection: The students can finally opine regarding what they have
learnt from lecture and discussion.
 What Does it Mean to be a Doctor? 17

ASSIGNMENT VIII

A white coat ceremony may be arranged for students at end of

foundation course.

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