Lecture byDr. Hanumantha Rao, November 8, 2002 [Compiled by Ms.Katie Richey]
In terms of the financial aspect to being a doctor…everyone wants to leave medical school and earn back the money that was spent right away. If this is done, in the short term it might be a success, but in the long term it will be a failure. Learn on your own how to be good doctors. You can teach yourselves. Do not just be concerned with money. What makes a good doctor is learning the art of how to listen to the patient. Let the patient express and feel confident in talking to the doctor. The best clinicians in the world know the art of taking the patient’s history. Fifteen minutes is not enough.
Dr. Rao also informed the students about what it takes to be a good doctor in India. The population of India is currently over 1 billion. Only 20% of this population can afford the high-tech allopathic medicine. What does the other 80% do? They should have meaningful access to healthcare but instead they have no other choice than to go to “quacks.” The innovative doctor must figure out a way to take care of these people. Do not be concerned for your own livelihood. Your main concern should be to help the people. Dr. Rao met Swami Rama in 1972 and said that Swamiji used to make fun of doctors. “Doctors are sick people themselves and they want to treat the sick!” he would say. “They are too concerned with their own money problems.” Our worth is measured in terms of money, but our happiness can never be brought by money. What good is money if you aren’t happy? There was a study done by some Indian sociologists who interviewed 100 millionaires on the satisfaction level of their lives. They found that over 90% were not satisfied. “If you don’t enjoy life, then what is it for?” said Dr. Rao. He emphasized that a doctor also must be a philosopher. “Know how to make yourself and your patient happy. Learn this art and you will be successful.
Swami Rama created the hospital as a model hospital for third world countries with the purpose to take the help of modern science and technology to simplify modern medical care. It must be simplified in a scientific way. The clues lie in the different medical systems such as Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Yoga. Modern scientists must learn to accept these ancient methods for their simplicity. The traditional thinking must be revised and put in a scientific framework. Do research. Don’t just keep prescribing pills and supporting the pharmaceutical industry. Work instead to prescribe small change the patient’s lifestyle. Digaphramatic breathing for instance can have huge effects on the health of a patient. More emphasis must be place on preventive measures. This will revolutionize the concept of cost and treatment.
