My perspective on what independence means for doctors is defined less by my own medical practice and more by my experience as the President of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. It is as President of IAP that I was introduced to the concerns of tens of thousands of pediatricians across the country. The doctor does not experience the freedom of free mornings and evenings, or a free weekend for several years after graduating. 16-20 hour work days are a commonplace reality for a junior doctor and for really low pay. Many doctors do not have freedom from intimidation and violence.
In the case of a pediatrician, it happens too often while dealing with emotionally disturbed parents who may have just lost their child. Doctors also need freedom from wrong cases of negligence or malpractice foisted on them. And they need freedom from having to spend a lot of time and money fighting them. There…
