Dr. Ian D'Souza

musings of an oncologist

The Measure of Success

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While housekeeping my laptop I came across this piece on the desktop that I wrote over a year ago…

I was once chatting with a devout Catholic. 

During the course of the conversation, she happened to remark that she was startled by a butterfly that flew into her room that morning. Now there are many who believe that such occurrences signify one of the dear departed attempting to make contact. 

When I mentioned that to her, she burst out laughing. 

Here was a person who had an unshakable belief that the host consumed at Communion is a part of the body of Christ and the wine His blood. Yet the fact that a butterfly could represent a brief contact from a loved one who has passed was not only unbelievable – if her reaction was anything to go by – it was way beyond ridiculous!

From the day we are born, we are hardwired in our beliefs. Not only in our unquestioning faith in what is deemed to be ‘right’ but also in our absolute determination to rubbish all else.

A case in point is how we measure success.

As I write this piece, I am a few weeks away from a massive crossroad in my life. It was way back in 1976 that I joined the healthcare fraternity as a young medical student. A few years ago I made a conscious decision to slow down. 

Now, 46 years later, I have decided to take the final plunge and move on. The next time I visit a hospital it will be as either as a visitor or as a patient. It’s a disconcerting feeling but one that is completely overshadowed by my eagerness to indulge in my other passions and explore what else life has on offer.

Inevitably, the question that keeps popping up in my mind is how successful have I been in my career. 

Being similarly hardwired as the rest of us, the standard criteria that we are programmed to apply automatically kick in…

9 out of 10 people will base their evaluation of a person’s success on the amount of material wealth that individual managed to accumulate during his or her career. 

And so, for many, one’s position on the wealth ladder is a critical measure of how well a person had done in life. If you are one of the richest men in the world then you automatically become a definitive benchmark. The fact that you may have ruined the lives of millions, or decimated huge ecosystems, or even resorted to the most unethical means to get there is immaterial. 

The term ‘leadership’ is another yardstick in the measure of success. 

I was once a member on a committee to select a suitable candidate for an award. I was given a pre-defined list of criteria, one of which was ‘Leadership Qualities’. Each was accompanied a checklist of sub-criteria based on which each candidate was scored. 

I remember playing a very passive role in the discussion (the final decision, I suspected, was a foregone conclusion) and so as a lark I randomly matched the list against world personalities. If memory serves me right, Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini were top contenders. It bears mentioning that Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha did not even make the shortlist. 

How much money does one have to make, or how many degrees does one have to accumulate in order to approach Medical Nirvanha? How many surgeries, hospital attachments, out patients does it take based on which one can either be proud of his achievements or harbour regrets on opportunities missed?

Midway through writing this an orthopedic colleague and close friend dropped into my office for a chat and I broached the topic. He has a very simple formula that was, I might add, typical of him.

“If in the space of you career”, he declared, “you have managed to acquire a home where you are able to shift the furniture away from the wall and still be able to move around then you have done well in life!”

Such profound words of wisdom, and from an orthopedic surgeon at that! Jokes aside, I do think he hits the nail on the head.

At the risk of having Einstein roll in his grave, it all seems to boil down to relativity.

Early in my career when I was going through a lean phase a radiation oncologist colleague tried to cheer me up. He suggested that I should be proud of the fact that I was one of the top 20 surgical oncologists in the country in private practice.

I know it sounds impressive, but it needs to be taken in perspective. 

Way back in the 80’s there were a very few Surgical Oncologists in private practice who practiced cancer surgery exclusively. They were either in State run Cancer Institutions like the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai or they were General Surgeons who also took on cancer cases. Although his declaration sounded very impressive, at that particular point in time it really did not amount to an extra-ordinary achievement!

And so I made my own private list of criteria to measure my success and I must say, I am absolutely thrilled with the results.  

That being said, to quote William Shakespeare, even the devil can cite scripture to suit his own purpose. And, especially since ‘honesty’ figured pretty high in my list, I’ll be the first to admit that there was a fair amount – strike that to read – a pretty substantial deviation from what would normally be considered conventional!

But then again, it certainly gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling… and, that’s what life is all about, isn’t it?!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Thanks Aseem,
      ha ha… the eternal quest or question…
      yes, certainly hoping to see you guys soon!

      Reply

  5. That’s honestly, an eye-opener! You’ve written what some of us have felt but found no energy (or words) to express…..

    Reply

    • Thanks MB. Unfortunately, in the society we live in it is always lurking, if not blatantly then definitely just under the surface…

      Reply

  7. Kudos Doc.Wish the so called successful in our country could take a leaf out of this.

    Reply

  11. Awesome introspective piece Ian!!! Just curious as what your private criteria for measuring success list was – ???

    Reply

    • Thanks Lisa. Assuming you are the same Lisa I grew up with, we go back a long way and you probably know me better than most… so, I’m surprised that you need to ask! 😀

      Reply

  12. Nice one as usual Dadi though I don’t know the answer. Fortunately had the benefit of travelling and working far afield. Just opens up the horizon. Stay well and keep doing what you enjoy
    Dicky

    Reply

    • Thanks Dhiren. I guess it will be different for everyone… the bottom line is the ability to appreciate the good stuff and learn from – not dwell on – the not so good! Trust all is well with you and the family too!

      Reply

  14. Hello from across the pond in Oklahoma, United States. I stumbled across your insightful, lovely blog and you have made me reflect with gratitude on our purpose and calling as physicians. My career is in but its seventh year post- medical school graduation, and I love it all. Medicine is what i was always meant to do. It was timely and a good reminder to read your posts of common sense – particularly in another post about palliative care and the simple (often overlooked) truth that a treatment worse than the disease it addresses should not generally be embraced. All that to say- thank you for sharing your insights and reflecting on those you have served. With respect and warm wishes from a fellow physician, still in the relative infancy of our great career.

    Reply

    • Hi Carolyn. So glad you liked the blog and chuffed that you took the effort to pen a response. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and a heart exactly where it should be. All the best for your professional career. I’ve no doubt when you reach my age and get a chance to look back you will do so with a great deal of joy and satisfaction.

      Reply

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