sometimes you feel the need to look around and try to find the hidden cameras. this was one such time.
i was in the boss' firm so on the whole it was a fairly tense time. at least we didn't have to deal with too much lip from the students. they were too scared of the boss to even step slightly out of line. even before the new groups arrived they would be informed by the previous groups about the many rigid idiosyncrasies of the boss and from day one they usually got most things right. in fact i was only aware of two students in the last eight years that the boss had asked to leave his ward rounds (i was one). and when this group of students arrived i expected nothing different.
i had done the early morning rounds and already the students seemed to be on the ball. we were waiting for the boss to go on academic rounds and were therefore all sitting around in front of the ward. then one of the students approached me.
she was a young attractive girl with flowing blond hair. as she got to me she dropped to one knee, threw her head back, pushed her more than adequate chest out and with a charming smile started to speak.
"hi there. i wonder if i could ask a favour of you?" i looked at her kneeling at my feet and couldn't find the words. " you see we are on call this weekend and i have tickets for a show on saturday night which i bought a number of months ago. i'd really like to go." again i couldn't find the words. part of me was thinking i can't believe that anyone would have the audacity to ask for a call off in the prof's firm. everyone knew that in the prof's firm there were no such concessions...ever. the next thought that went through my mind was to look for the hidden cameras. the situation was so bizarre that it had to be a smile, you're on candid camera moment. finally my mind kicked into gear.
when i told her there was no such thing as a call off in the boss' firm and that i was sure she could flog the tickets for something at least, her entire countenance changed in a split second. her chest dropped (a bit at least), her bright eyes turned to a scowl, her head fell forward causing her hair to fall across her face, hiding any hint of the smile that had previously animated it so. she then stood up and trundled off. just to be sure i looked around again for the cameras. i couldn't see them anywhere.
later i heard that the student in question made a habbit of flirting heavily with her male registrars and, probably mainly due to her abundant chest, could get away with pretty much anything. with me she never tried another thing.
p.s when she left the firm she wrote a scathing letter about me accusing me of unproffessional behaviour and even cruelty towards my patients. she said that i was an example of what a doctor should not be. she contrasted me with my medical officer whom she said was brilliant. what she didn't know is that he openly hated her and only my intervention prevented her from coming under his almost constant wrath. fortunately she also complained about another consultant's moustache and bowtie, so the boss didn't take her complaints too seriously.
