Professional jousting means one colleague criticising the work or decision of another colleague. This is an unfortunate practice and is true in almost all professions. However, it is particularly frequent in the medical profession. Here we call it DOCTOR JOUSTING. This menace is seen in almost all countries of the world. But it is very common in our subcontinent. I have heard that some doctors even tear prescriptions of the previous doctor.
Badmouthing has become a routine. A New York Times survey revealed that out of the 4,000 professionals surveyed in the US, over 44% admitted to badmouthing a colleague or competitor. The proportion is very high here. Sometimes, a patient may ask for a current doctor’s opinion on previous treatment recommendations, fishing for criticism. It’s best, to be honest. You can say that since you were not there, you don’t have the full picture. Since you were…
