Timing, my dear boy

I'm a punctual person. I always have been. I'm made fun off for always arriving on time for dinners and lunches, while everyone else believes it's important to add the :30 at the end of whatever time they've been told. I'm also anal about getting to work on time. Its more peaceful to wake up a few minutes early, than seeing a constipated face shout at you early morning. So, since I'm so considerate of those around me at work, I expect they be the same with me. I ask only to be left on time. 

For the sake of anonymity, I can't really reveal where I'm currently working, but it's a magical place. As long as I arrive on time, finish my work, I can leave on time. I haven't yet been asked to wait "in case a patient shows up", as asked to twiddle my thumbs. I finally have defined work timings, unlike the other clinical rotations I've had! Some of you may give me some shit about how a doctor isn't supposed to have proper timings & we're supposed to report whenever required. Yeah! When was the last time you lost out on sleep, missed a close friend's engagement, drove 20 kms directly from work to reach a birthday, only to realize you're too late!

We  need to let people go home in this country. The concept off being on-call 24x7 doesn't work with the patient loads we deal with. Accountability suffers in the present scenario. There've been patients who have been taken for surgery without viral markers being in time, only to find out after the surgery that the patient was sero-positive. And I can't imagine how difficult it must be for the first year residents themselves. Even if you live a stone's throw away from the hospital, you still can't go home more than once a month. Someone really needs to stop this madness.. STAT!