The Waiting Room - Flipside

So yesterday I discussed the fees doctor's charge for being late. Today, I discussing why we might be waiting. This gave me a new perspective on doctor's. Now I don't get so angry while waiting.

  

   Have you ever sat in the waiting room of your doctor’s office, fingertips tapping on the magazine you’re trying to concentrate on, but can’t? Your foot stomping, you’re frustrated. You arrived early for your appointment so why can’t your doctor be on time?

     What’s taking him so long? Doesn’t he know you have other things you could be doing at home? How unprofessional of him or her to leave you waiting so long.

     I know I’ve been that person on many occasions. A recent stay in the hospital shed a different light on my doctor and his time.

     I was hospitalized for a severe case of pneumonia.  My doctor showed up in my room every morning around seven am to check on me. Like clockwork he checked my condition faithfully. And if he couldn’t be there his partner came. Sometimes he would stop back at night to see if I was progressing. These are doctors that I want to continue caring for me. They were both very concerned with my health.

     I wasn’t the only person they visited in the hospital. There were other patients they had to check on.

     I learned that he not only made rounds at the hospital every day, but two days a week he also started his morning doing minor surgery. So when I go to his office and he’s running late it could be because he got caught up with a very sick patient at the hospital or a procedure took a little longer than planned, either way he started his day much earlier than his office hours and he’ll still be going long after the office has closed.

     After a sixteen day stay in the hospital I have a new respect for my doctors. Next time I’m sitting in the waiting room wondering why he can’t be punctual I will remember that he is caring for others.  And they deserve his time just as much as I do.