FAMOUS DOCTOR

OMG! China is a beast. The locals are in a race to become the most rich & famous people on earth, doctors notwithstanding. Profit motivates people & the most populous country on the planet has bought in en masse. On my first day, I met the chair of the outpatient oncology department, Dr. Lam. She carries the title of Famous Doctor in this hospital. As capitalism infiltrates the People's Republic of China, free-market system rears its ugly head in all areas of life. The underlying edict: Money buys you the best health care available. In my first meeting with Dr. Lam, I couldn't help noticing the posse milling around her. An air of self-importance filled the room. Not only was there a long line of patients waiting for their turn, she was also buffered by a host of interns drooling for any little nugget they can find. Dr. Lam was straight up pimping. She asked me gruffly what I wanted to learn. I came back with the stock response: how to use combination therapy to treat cancer & which particular herbs to use under what circumstance. She wasn't impressed. She ordered me to come next morning to follow her during her shift. However, her directive was that I needed to go to the oncology department in another building. I thanked her & left. When I showed up the next morning, the vibe of the clinic was decidedly different. It was clean & not overrun by patients. Later on, I asked my uncle how come the difference. He chuckled & said that one is for common folks while the other is reserved for those who pay a handsome fee for Dr. Lam's expertise. He added objectively: No money, no talk. While I tried to temper my judgement, my stomach was knotting up. Something was not right. It wreaked of opportunism. Upon that first meeting, I wondered if I had slipped a red envelope to Dr. Lam, I too might have received preferential treatment from the Famous Doctor.