I was on vacation for three weeks. The hospital work continued in my absence, as all doctors did not go on vacation at the same time. A few days before the end of the vacation, I had to go to the hospital because the medical council held an inspection of the department. Everyone had to go to the hospital that day, whether on vacation or not, because if adequate number of doctors were not found, they would remove recognition of the institute. I had to be there not only for being count as present, but to tell the medical council inspector all about my department, answer all questions, and show her around the institute. One of the places to be shown was my Gynecology ward. When I entered the ward with the inspectors, all the beds were occupied. The patients were lying down. When they saw me, a number of them sat up. A few of them started waving at me enthusiastically. I had not thought the patients would remember me and be so happy to see me when they least expected to do so. After all, it was a civic general hospital with a lot of doctors, and someone or the other would treat them anyway.
"Now now" I said. "I am here for some other work. Be with you in four more days."
They stopped waving, but seemed reassured. All these days I probably had believed I was doing a job mainly for my job satisfaction. Now I realized I was doing a job mainly for their satisfaction, even if I had not known that.
"Now now" I said. "I am here for some other work. Be with you in four more days."
They stopped waving, but seemed reassured. All these days I probably had believed I was doing a job mainly for my job satisfaction. Now I realized I was doing a job mainly for their satisfaction, even if I had not known that.
