Article #11

Thank you doctor

Growing up, I didn't know what I wanted to do, nor did I care. I just wanted to enjoy my life as a kid, and figured that I would worry about the adult stuff when the time called for it. Things wouldn't turn out as I planned, however, and an unexpected experience completely altered my perspective.

It was 5 o’ clock, and I was quietly sitting on the stairs of my father's clinic, waiting for him to get out so we could go to 'Fine' restaurant for dinner. I sat there, idly staring at the honking buses and hoping that each blare of the noise would consume ten minutes of the clock. "5:30. It's finally time for some chicken and lamb kebobs," I said, licking my lips. My father was on his way out, when a patient that looked severely ill showed up. "The clinic closes at 5:30," the person at the register said. "I'm sorry." The patient pleaded for his examination, but the pharmacy technician wouldn't budge. It wasn't until at my father's request that the patient was finally allowed in. My father saw the expression on my face and knew that I was hungry and disappointed. Nevertheless, he had this stern look about his face that warned me to keep my mouth shut. Thus, I quietly sat down on the stairs and watched the buses once again. Frustration boiled inside me, and my empty stomach was only making matters worse. The clock struck 6, and my father still wasn't out. That was the last that I could take. As I stood up to barge inside, my father and the patient walked out, laughing quietly amongst themselves. The patient was fervently shaking my father's hands, and the amount of gratefulness that he had for my father was enough to leave me speechless. My hunger and anger instantaneously vanished. Even as I approached them, the patient was oblivious to my presence. He kept repeating "Dhanyabad! Dhanyabad!" to my father, which means "thank you." After about a minute or two, my dad finally convinced the patient that he was late for dinner, and that the pleasure had been his to serve such an appreciative person. "Let's go eat," he told me, to which I dazed him with "I'm not hungry. Let's go home instead."

To this day, that experience has left a lasting mark in me. I cannot imagine how my father felt on that day. However, I do know the impact it had on me as a kid, and it was enough for me to be convinced that the same feeling is what I strive for in my life. I want to become a doctor and make a first-hand difference in the lives of others. The drive to possess this indescribable feeling, coupled with my love for the sciences, will ultimately lead me to succeed in my endeavors.

Divyash Chhetri

USA (Phoenix, Arizona)