From the moment I set my eyes on her, my day turned sour. Her smallish structure as she walked down the halls of the emergency unit with everyone scurrying out of her way, she must have felt like a god.
I saw the smirk she made, glad she had that effect on people.
But why would anyone want that? That rather than getting a warm greeting with a wide smile and a genuine care for your family and work, you get coldness, fear and trembling from those around you, with no one wanting to come near you for fear of being your next target?
Her name was Dr Paula, nicknamed “cameroun pepper,”
She was ever ready to pounce on anyone that did not please her in words or deeds, even the slightest mistake you make can land you a degree of scolding that would make you wonder if you were a highway robber, caught in the act.
She corrected harshly, without mercy and could even forget you were the offender and dive into your family, saying horrible things about them just to correct your “simple mistake”.
Well, i had never been her victim but i had seen what she had done to colleagues, even my superiors who were her inferiors. I usually wonder to myself that if this was what it meant to be a consultant, then i don’t know if i would want to be one anymore. But the likes of Dr David and Dr Karen always eased my mind. Such kind, polite, cerebral and wonderful fellows who taught with such grace, ease and passion. They would ignite your fire no matter how dead it was, and fill you with the need to serve himanity as a physician. They made me look forward to being a consultant, where i could be in a better position to make credible life-saving decisions and hence have more effect on my patients’ lives.
I hoped to meet a wonderful friends at GAWIM, and to hear about their various centres, their mentors, how they affect their lives and what they think about the future of medical practice in Nigeria.
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