Graduate

Time: 8:30 AM, 2nd July, 2011
Place: General medical ward of certain university hospital

"Good morning, madam. I am Dr. X. What's your problem ?" The first-year medical officer was eager to start his ward round.

"Quite a few," murmured the old woman, "I have a long history of high blood lipid and weak bones, and now it is this ankle pain."

"I see ..." the doctor considered for a while, "But to me you could be classified as having an excellent health; neither hyperlipidemia nor osteoporosis were medical conditions in my textbook."

"What ?" The patient was taken aback. But she continued, "My friend told me that this ankle pain is gout. Do you agree, doctor ?"

"Of course not, the word gout does not appear in my textbook either." This Dr. X found himself sounded like Napoleon.

**************************

That night, the woman died suddenly.

Understandably, a post-mortem was arranged. Her family raised a complaint, and, a few months later, Dr. X was summoned to the coroners court.

"According to the pathologist, this woman actually had a blood clot in her leg - and she died because part of the clot went up to the lung." The judge explained, "What do you have to say, Dr. X ? Have you considered this possibility when treating the patient ?"

"Of course not," the new generation doctor did not concede easily, "In my textbook, there's nothing called deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. I don't think these conditions exist, and we have to declare this lady could not have died. Can we summon her and check ?"

"Well, maybe you would like to go to where she is now living and see to the problem ..."

For once, I agree with a judge.