Never realised that becoming a parent is going change the way I look at the world. And the people in it. And more importantly, the paediatricians doctoring it!
We go to a doc who runs a small clinic in our area. She's a Coorg, very practical and a mother of two herself. She also remembers the names of her regulars. Her little patients, I mean. Which is, I've discovered, very important to me.Knowing that she knows lil C by name, makes me trust her more. Coz it shows she takes the trouble to keep track of the babies she treats.
A while ago, we went to another doc, in another part of town. He's a big shot in the little childrens'-doctor-business. Has a big consultation above his home in a posh part of town. He also gets the poshest clients--upperclass nicely-dressed women with nicely-dressed children in tow. With him, you need to book an appointment at least a day or two in advance. First time we met, he commented on lil C's unusual name, told us an anecdote, made us laugh. Made us feel happy. We liked him and found him a very knowledgeable doc. A good doc, in fact.
Next time we met, he gave us a blank look. It was obvious, he didn't remember us. Or the unusual name he'd commented on so wittily, last time around.
So we now go to our original choice. She keeps an open house so parents from really poor families turn up, as well as folks in big cars, who sometimes turn up, maids in tow. She doesn't need appointments, it's more a first-come-first-in-the-door, with her. Somedays, the crowd is so great that baby and I wait an hour to see her. She rarely charges more than Rs 100.
But best of all, for me, she calls lil C by name.
We go to a doc who runs a small clinic in our area. She's a Coorg, very practical and a mother of two herself. She also remembers the names of her regulars. Her little patients, I mean. Which is, I've discovered, very important to me.Knowing that she knows lil C by name, makes me trust her more. Coz it shows she takes the trouble to keep track of the babies she treats.
A while ago, we went to another doc, in another part of town. He's a big shot in the little childrens'-doctor-business. Has a big consultation above his home in a posh part of town. He also gets the poshest clients--upperclass nicely-dressed women with nicely-dressed children in tow. With him, you need to book an appointment at least a day or two in advance. First time we met, he commented on lil C's unusual name, told us an anecdote, made us laugh. Made us feel happy. We liked him and found him a very knowledgeable doc. A good doc, in fact.
Next time we met, he gave us a blank look. It was obvious, he didn't remember us. Or the unusual name he'd commented on so wittily, last time around.
So we now go to our original choice. She keeps an open house so parents from really poor families turn up, as well as folks in big cars, who sometimes turn up, maids in tow. She doesn't need appointments, it's more a first-come-first-in-the-door, with her. Somedays, the crowd is so great that baby and I wait an hour to see her. She rarely charges more than Rs 100.
But best of all, for me, she calls lil C by name.
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