1. A valuable book for young medical
professionals
Sher Alam Shinwari
Published Dec 09, 2014 06:47am

3. PESHAWAR: Learning in any discipline is a continuous and comprehensive
process. Learning in medical discipline needs keen and concentrated efforts to
maste r skills re lating to one’s professional and e thical attitude.
Sometimes, it is not the medicine which affects the patient; rather it is a doctor’s
behaviour which can help cure. Ethical, moral and social values should be kept in mind
while treating a patient.
Dr Shabir Ahmed Awan has recently published a valuable book titled ‘The Pearls of
Orthopaedic Training’ carrying guidelines for young medical professionals.
Share and care attitude can always help a young medical trainee to face challenges in
life. Giving an earful and a generous smile to patient can earn respect and confidence for
a doctor, which at times, prove effective during training.
Making false promises with patients or their relatives is tantamount to inviting their wrath,
especially when their hopes are not fulfilled.
The book advises doctors to keep ethical, moral and social values in
mind while treating patients
“A doctor is supposed to provide the actual situation of illness and its expected outcome
in professional manner,” the book describes.
Young medical professionals are always in need of getting maximum experience,
knowledge and good manners from their seniors, supervisors and even juniors. It is
advised that a doctor should speak to his/her patients in such a manner that they
become friendly enough to share important personal history regarding their ailment.
Having good relations can make one’s training easy and stress free.
A doctor’s dress, gait, gesture, attitude and words may either cast positive or negative
effect on the patients. Involving in conflict, argument or fight may spoil a young doctor’s
training, reputation and good relations.
Confidentially is yet another important element of training. It is a patient’s right that
his/her clinical information should be kept secret and it should not be disclosed without
prior permission of the patient or parents in case the patient is minor.
The book suggests that instructions and precautions should be given in local language if
possible when writing prescription so that a patient could follow them. It says that special
attention should be paid when prescribing medication to elderly patients as they are
taking many medicines for their different illnesses and there may be risk of drug
interaction.
Also, the book advises the young doctors to learn to be careful while prescribing
medicines to professional drivers because some medicines could affect their driving
ability. Many a times, it causes fatal road accidents.
Similarly, great care needs to be taken when prescribing medicines to children as they
respond differently from adult. Weight and age of children should be kept in mind. It says
that casual attitude is never tolerated in medical discipline. Punctuality, extra care for

4. patient and good relations with seniors and colleagues can qualify a young medical
officer to be a successful professional and good human being.
Dr Shabir, the author of the book, is a consultant orthopaedic trauma and endoscopic
spinal surgeon with qualification from UK, Canada and the USA. Noted doctors and
experts from the USA and UK have recommended his book for trainees in medical
discipline.
Mr Ahmed’s special interests are in minimally invasive spinal surgery (MISS), back pain
and sciatica. Spreading over 192 pages, the book will prove a crash course for young
health workers.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2014