Primary School Level

Points: Has a long and busy day - rises early and goes on morning visits - attends his clinic - his attitude to the rich and poor patients - how he spends his afternoons - his duties in the evening - cannot be sure of a night's undisturbed sleep.

A doctor has a long day. He has a very busy day everyday. He rises very early. Before going to his clinic at 10 o'clock, he finishes visiting all his patients at their homes. He cheers them up with a kind word and a ready smile. He listens patiently to all their complaints. He has a perfect bedside manner.

He enters his clinic. He greets his patients with a smile. He has many patients waiting for him. He examines each patient. Some patients are prescribed a mixture or tablets. Others have to take injections. The mixture prescribed by the doctor is prepared by his compounder.

Some patients are rich and some poor. The doctor's fees depend on the circumstances of his patient. Poor patients may be charged very little, or perhaps, nothing at all. If a doctor is noble and generous, he will treat his poor patients free. Sometimes doctors are greedy and selfish. They don't give concessions to poor patients.

At about one o'clock the doctor returns home for lunch. He takes a short nap after lunch. He feels fresh for his evening's work. In the evening he goes once more on his visits to his patients' homes. Then he comes to his clinic. He remains there till late evening. He attends to all his patients.

At night he goes home. He gets very tired. He has his dinner. He reads the newspaper and the latest medical journals. He keeps in touch with the research and discoveries in medicine. When he goes to sleep, he is not sure that he will be able to enjoy a whole night's rest. An urgent sick call may come at night. Then his sleep will be disturbed. He will have to go out and attend on a patient who has suddenly taken ill. So a doctor's work never ends. We admire him for the devotion with which he serves the community. He is a very useful public servant.

Difficult Words: Clinic-place where a doctor works; patients- sick people; cheers them up-make them happy; perfect bedside manners-showing complete understanding and sympathy; greets-wishes; prescribed-told to take; compounder- man who mixes and prepares the medicines; nap-sleep; keeps in touch with-tries to know about; research- findings; taken ill-become sick; admire-like and respect; devotion-love.