Green

During a casual discussion, a young colleague of mine sighed, "You know, just today, a patient in the out-patient clinic commented that I am younger than her grand-daughter, and how could she rely on my advise !?"

We all laughed. But the experience was actually shared by many of us. When we were young, we always found it difficult to accept why there a correlation between patient respect and doctors' grey hair. After all, although age could imply experience, it could also (and does frequently) mean outdated knowledge - not to say possible parkinsonism of a senile surgeon.

Alas, now I understand the respect is sometimes not because of their superb medical skill or experience, but merely for the pragmatic reason that senile doctors hold senior positions - which often control the resource and govern clinical decisions.

Of course the more embarrassing scenario would be mistaking wrinkles and grey hairs as seniority (or senility) - some of our colleagues really keep a baby-face for decades, and, in our patients' eyes, would never become a senior doctor.

And the reverse also happens. I still remember an occasion when I saw a consultation with a junior colleague (who was half-bald), who was mistaken by the patient as my consultant.

I was not amused.