Working at a KKM hospital is satisfaction 5% and heartache 95%. It’s not because we got no satisfaction treating the patients, but from up top to down bottom, rotten apples are everywhere. In government service, everything is about seniority. Everything is about hierarchy. Everything goes by what the boss says.
This system of hierarchy actually serves to protect the main KKM clients – the patients. A specialist with 15 years of experience certainly would give much more accurate and decisive treatment than a one-month old houseman. But the system also opens up another door – bullying. Bullying has been a culture of KKM doctors since forever. The main reason for this bullying – for YOU to learn. Whether it’s really the best teaching method, nobody can say.
A houseman does not outrank the nurses. The nurses rule the ward, they know how the works are being done all this time while the houseman keep changing every few months. They determine whether we had done things correctly or not, whether this form and that form are filled in correctly, whether our work is complete or incomplete, whether we can have meals or breaks during our shifts. I certainly don’t remember myself outranking the PPK because last I heard, I was told to “Jangan kacau saya boleh tak? Kalau doktor nak urgent, pegi hantar ABG ke lab sendiri lah! Saya banyak kerja ni!” Continue reading



A tired doctor = excellent doctor?