Sir, no surgery?
'Sir, this is a patient for knee surgery,' the agent announced. I examined her knee. She didn't need surgery. Her face lit up with relief. The agent's didn't. He left and never came back.
Why you're always broke despite your doctor salary
I was earning over ₹1 lakh per month. On paper, I was successful. In reality, I was borrowing from my father to cover my credit card bill. That's when I realised: high income doesn't mean wealth. It just means a more expensive way to stay broke.
I paid for my patient's surgery. With my own money.
I've paid for my own patients' treatment multiple times. I funded the hospital bill for my own professional service. Can you name another profession where this happens? That's what makes us noble. And that's exactly what makes us exploitable.
The 'downgrade' that gave me my life back
It was 4 AM. I was still in my car. Not returning from emergency surgery. I was stuck in a Chennai traffic gridlock, trying to pick up my wife and son. Nothing was moving. That night I started questioning everything I'd been taught about building a surgical career...
The accusation got 8.2 million views. The explanation got 3,400.
You've felt it. That cold drop in your stomach when a patient pulls out their phone mid-consultation. The split-second calculation: Are they texting? Or recording? We are all one patient away from destruction.
The Mentor Search Trap
Nobody's coming to save your career. That's the good news. The search for 'the mentor' keeps you waiting for permission from someone who benefits from your waiting.
When hospitals promise everything, YOU become the sacrifice
The department head flipped through my logbook. Two years of cases. Then he asked: 'What supports your call for higher cases?' I wasn't being evaluated on potential. I was being asked to prove I'd been exploited enough to deserve better...
The 8 Roles Every Surgeon Must Master (Or Die Broke)
Brilliant surgeon. 62 years old. Borrowing ₹3 lakhs from his junior. His batch mate just bought his third hospital. Same training. Same city. The difference has nothing to do with skill.
I was the better surgeon. He got all the patients.
He wasn't better than my mentor — not even close. But in Chennai, this orthopaedic surgeon charged five times what I charged. He did so well that eventually he started calling me to do his surgeries. The guy charging premium fees was hiring the guy charging discount fees to operate...
