IMAGE BUILDING OF ANAESTHESIOLOGISTS 
  Dr. Milind P. Pol  
  MBBS, DA, DNB (ANAE)
  Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
                                                        
   (In this topic “Surgeon” refers to all operating speciality fellow colleagues of any gender.)
The topic itself is a big surprise for every free lance anaesthesiologist, but it is the call of time. We should now work more for the image building of anaesthesiologist.
To do that, we should know what is today’s image?
A free lance anaesthesiologist  today

1. Is Easily exploitable
2. Has low self esteem
3. Is easily held guilty for any untoward situations in O.T.
4. Is a good assistant to adjust instruments in O.T.
5. Is a person indulged in other activities like FB, WA, Chats during O.T. hours
6. Always having feeling of insecurity
7. Is hated by family, as can’t plan anything
8. Is not interested in association hence not united
9. Is depressed because of work pressure, family tension, inferiority complex
10. Yet still a good technical expert

All the above things go hand in hand from the very first day of our anaesthesia life & we are solely responsible for this. So, if we have to change & build our image, we should start from the grass root i.e. from our residency days. But now it is not possible to go back, then we can start even from today & get rid of some of our bad habits.
We should build our image as good anaesthesiologist means,

1. We should be non exploitable
2. We should be full of self esteem
3. Anybody should think 100 times before labeling us guilty
4. We should be the friend, philosopher & guide  of the surgeon
5. We should be well focused in O.T. hours
6. We should not have a sense of insecurity
7. We should be well balanced between family & profession
8. We should be united & eager to work for associations
9. We should be full of energy
10. & we should have command on our professional skills

How we are going to achieve this?

1. Personal level
2. Association level
3. College level

a. Personal level
Non exploitable: Be a part of association; get the charge list of all operations.
You may take the minimum fixed charges, but don’t take less than that. This will make uniformity in association. I here request to all new comers, to please meet your senior colleagues first rather than the surgeons, before starting your practice & do not let the surgeon enjoy on your exploitation. Also, if a new comer takes less charges, the unity of that association is at stakes, so don’t let the unity of our association be at stakes. If you think , by taking less charges, the surgeon will give you more calls; then you are a fool; because ‘ Market rule’ is that; ‘ the costlier things are good & the cheaper pieces are defective ones’.
Full of self esteem: You are also equally qualified, so don’t feel you are dependent; rather both surgeon & anaesthesiologist are interdependent. You are a part of the team which is working for the betterment of the patient.
Rests of the qualities go hand in hand.
You should not be indulged in social media during O.T. hours. Social media are good for communication & also provide useful information, but they distract our mind very fast. In O.T. hours, you are expected to give 100% in O.T., hence don’t chat on FB, WA & so on.
Your attitude in operation theatre should be such that every person in O.T. should be reassured by your presence. You should try to keep the environment in O.T. cool, pleasant  & under control, try to avoid scolding the staff, speak softly to the patient, try to get them in confidence & alley their anxiety, explain the anaesthetic technique in simple words yet help them to overcome the fear of operation.
During surgery, help the surgeon, when in need. Do not give suggestions when not needed, suggest things which are feasible in that particular set up, try to decrease his nervousness, when in doubt, and use your experience of other O.T.s & other surgeons to take this “Abhimanyu” out of the “Chakravyuvha”. Try to minimize the surgical time & thereby morbidity.
Make such an impact on your surgeon, by your nature, attitude & technique of anaesthesia that he will not blame anaesthesia, if that is not the cause. He will not think of changing the anaesthesiologist, pay you whatever your charges are & will suggest others also, for specialized procedures.
If this happens, then you should not have insecurity feeling.
Every doctor as professional has a professional life as follows:
There is early incline for about 5-6 years, plateau for next 15-20 years & then decline.
So, if you have completed early 5-6 years of practise , got a feeling of security in your profession & started family life, you must think of plateau.
First 5-6 years, you have not refused a single call but now you should think of planning your life. You try to concentrate on only 3-4 good attachments, where you have a good rapport & you are much comfortable while working.
Try to specify the O.T. timings of these 3-4 surgeons by telling them that you are giving them priority & may not take other calls without informing. Try to stick to your words. Talk with your colleagues & make a team of 3-4 anaesthesiologists , who can attend the calls at your attachments , in your absence.If you are not able to do the call, please try to arrange replacement yourself. This will again help to build your image as caring for patients.
The worldwide dictum is “ You can’t satisfy everybody,everytime”. So, if you yourself give your calls to fellow colleagues, your image in their minds, as a co operative person, will also increase.
Try to go to help your colleagues,when they are in need. In our profession, help is summoned only during dier emergency, hence don’t ignore it. Try to solve personal, family or other problems of your colleagues, those are in your limit.
You have got attachments in your early years of practise, only because your seniors have given their spill over calls to you to prove yourself. This thing is also applicable to you & you should also give some of your attachments to new comers, where you think, you are not able to give 100%, which will prove how generous you are!
Don’t be disturbed, if you are removed from any attachment or you don’t have prime attachments. This will only increase your stress but can not convey your feelings to them. Try to forget such things as early as possible & go ahead.
Believe that “ Everything happening in this world is for good only” & “ Change is the only permanent thing in the world”.
Always be honest to your work.
Discuss difficulties with your colleagues. Try to involve some of your colleagues when you are doing  high risk cases. This will provide expertise at hands & relieve your stress also.
Today’s world is the world of sharing the responsibilities. Keep in mind that nobody is going to give you any medal for the extra risk you are taking: but if anything goes wrong,you will be fired alone. Try to take calculated risks.
Talk to the patient & relatives, take proper consent & then start the anaesthesia.
To relieve stress, you must have other ways than your practise. After 7-8 years of practise, try to recapitulate the hobbies you have left back.
Surely, these recreational & entertaining hobbies will take you away for a while, from the stressfull practise.
Try to spend time with kids, give time to their studies.
Attend meetings of your association, even though you don’t want to be in academics anymore. This will increase your rappot with fellow colleagues.
Take active participation in all activities of your association. I will tell you, just being an active part of association, is a wonderfull experience. It  widens your views,creats new friends, rediscover things & new ideas in your mind.
All the above things will help in increasing your  self confidence, attitude, esteem & takes care of depressive episodes in your professional life.
Also try to be an active part of other associations like IMA, where you meet many of your surgeon friends & increase rappot with them . This helps to your association when you are fighting for your rights like minimum O.T. standards, anaesthesia charges etc.
b.Association level :
                    My first & foremost humble appeal to to the national leaders of Anaesthesiology, is to make efforts to include the subject “ Anaesthesiology” in the curriculum of M.B.B.S.
All other subjects enjoy the popularity only because they are the mainstream subjects.
Students are fascinated during their MBBS course only towards these subjects & if they are not getting any posts among these, then only they think of Anaesthesiology. This is the current situation in Maharashtra & I think this is everywhere.
There are very few students who choose this subject on their will. But one thing is that, even they are forced to opt Anaesthesiology as their profession, every anaesthesiologist gives 100% respect to his profession.
The association  should be reached to the grass root . Fortunately our’s is one of the best & well organised association & our leaders are the good leaders.
National ISA, State ISAs & all city branches are doing very well.
As an asociation, we should look into all problems of our members,no matter how small they are.
All branches should conduct Public Awareness Programmes on regular basis with different approaches like lectures, workshops on CPR,BLS, power point presentations  & so on.
This will highlight the role of anaesthesiologist during operation & increase affection of the public towards these backstage boys.
c)  College level :
All institutes, departments of anaesthesiology & teachers are the part of the image building of anaesthesiologists.
They are doing this job with devotion.
They should nurture following qualities in the budding anaesthesiologists:
Togetherness, No Groupism, Helpfulness, Not indulging in Banned Activities,
Technical Experties & Active Participation in all activities.
Also, they should include topics such as Image Building, Public Awareness & Occupational Hazzards of Anaesthesiology as symposia in their academic activities.

         This will help every anaesthesiologist to become a reputed figure in medical fraternity.