Making friends, establishing connections
Posted by Armi Cabero on Monday, September 23, 2013
Dentistry is no longer just a profession. It is a business opportunity. After all, we make a living out of it. We build, establish, gain connections - its a due process waiting to unveil. A few years back, I made a friend out of a patient who almost became a hostile entity in my life. It came to a point where I would dread her appointment because all I could hear were complaints. And she became irrational to every explanation I gave to her. I felt my hands were tied and that I was at her mercy.
I wondered, what if I ignored her and never showed up at all, eschew her whenever she would contact me. But my heart was so soft that I could not bear turning my back on my patients knowing that I have an obligation to fulfill. Frankly speaking, those times were a nightmare for me but I manned up! I showed her that I was responsible and that I will finish the job no matter what it takes. Because of that trait, I guess, I gained her respect. Later on I realized, she wasn't the drama queen I thought she was. She was actually a patient who needed to be heard because she has longed for a dentist who will listen to her concerns. Out of that situation, I have made a friend and five years have passed and we have remained where we are today. A good doctor patient rapport was established.
I believe that in our profession, we didn't take up psychology in our pre-dentistry for nothing. Many times, patients who are troublesome need to have someone they can talk to - and many times have these patients of mine confided in me telling me about their happy or sob stories because they feel being in the chair relaxes them. If my chair could only speak, it would tell you a lot about my patient's stories.
Now going back to my patient, because we became good to each other, she now actually refers me to her colleagues in an international organization. Today, I enjoy having my old friends and seek for more new friends to establish more connections. So it seems, my patience paid off. I stood up, I endured, and I conquered. Not a bad aftermath after a hard days work.
I wondered, what if I ignored her and never showed up at all, eschew her whenever she would contact me. But my heart was so soft that I could not bear turning my back on my patients knowing that I have an obligation to fulfill. Frankly speaking, those times were a nightmare for me but I manned up! I showed her that I was responsible and that I will finish the job no matter what it takes. Because of that trait, I guess, I gained her respect. Later on I realized, she wasn't the drama queen I thought she was. She was actually a patient who needed to be heard because she has longed for a dentist who will listen to her concerns. Out of that situation, I have made a friend and five years have passed and we have remained where we are today. A good doctor patient rapport was established.
I believe that in our profession, we didn't take up psychology in our pre-dentistry for nothing. Many times, patients who are troublesome need to have someone they can talk to - and many times have these patients of mine confided in me telling me about their happy or sob stories because they feel being in the chair relaxes them. If my chair could only speak, it would tell you a lot about my patient's stories.
Now going back to my patient, because we became good to each other, she now actually refers me to her colleagues in an international organization. Today, I enjoy having my old friends and seek for more new friends to establish more connections. So it seems, my patience paid off. I stood up, I endured, and I conquered. Not a bad aftermath after a hard days work.
Dr Armi is past editor of Dental Asia magazine. After her numerous feats, she returns and handles a private practice in the country and is considered as one of the most respected dental professionals in the dental association.
Now she continues her editorial crusade as Editor in Chief of Dental News Philippines to help empower every Filipino dentist with updated knowledge and skills straight from the "libraries" of renowned authors in the world.
