#1. Never be late

My job required me to be on time on every single day of the week.

Most patients I saw belonged to the corporate crowd, and they were very finicky about punctuality.

Each minute that is lost is costly. Plus if I started late, I had to work till late.

#2. Never turn up shabbily

“Stressed, Depressed and Still Well-dressed“ is how the public perceives doctors to be.

We should strive well to uphold this perception for our patients. A patient had once refused to acknowledge my presence because I stood out like a sore thumb in a tidy clinic, and I had to lose that patient to my boss’s competitor just across the street.

#3. Do not interrupt your patient

Any treatment we do is complimented with an all-listening ear and a very patient demeanor.

The patient wants us to hear him/her out.

Any clinical diagnosis must be reserved until the patient does not stop talking.

Otherwise, one might come across as rude or worse, overconfident. Trust me, no one likes either.

#4. Do not interrupt your boss

The Boss is always right. Those were not my patients, but his.

Any difference in opinion about treatment planning must never occur.

I once tried to recommend a 3M Lava crown on an upper central incisor in a patient who had undergone a root canal, right when she was negotiating with Boss for a cheap PFM crown, and Boss had obliged because of her financial status. One stern look from Boss made me realize my folly.

See Next Page for Points number #5 to #7, that you must never do being a Professional Dentist/Doctor