Mohan Kumar (MRCGP, PG DIP GP)

Name : Mohan Kumar (MRCGP, PG DIP GP)
Employer : Chandler House Surgery and North Western Deanery PGMDE
University : Stanley Medical College, University of Madras
Subject : MBBS
Graduated : 1988

When I applied for the general practice vocational training scheme 13 years ago, most comments were either derogatory or a patronising ‘Why GP?’, as if it was like giving up. I actively chose general practice as a career because during rotations in surgery and emergency medicine I missed the continuous patient contact and the ability to follow up. The act of diagnosing to me is like detective work – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a GP! My heart lies firmly in the daily mysteries of general practice where things don’t come wrapped in neat packages, where we place value on human narratives, where the range can be as broad or as narrow as you want it to be, and where the emphasis is on long-term relationships.

My job

I gained my postgraduate degree in 2005 and got interested in teaching. I am currently a practising GP, a GP trainer and a course organiser for GP registrars. A typical day comprises morning and afternoon surgeries, with a couple of hours of paperwork, telephone triage, home visits and follow-up investigations. I run twice-monthly minor surgery sessions where I remove cysts and skin lesions. Each year, I take on a GP registrar and mentor him or her in our practice for a year. I love the unique one-to-one nature of GP training. GPs often juggle a portfolio of specialties such as teaching, management work, medical or surgical clinical sessions and diagnostics.

Best and worst

There are so many best bits: the shy child who brings in a picture he or she has drawn for you; the grateful families; the sheer joy of unravelling symptoms and diagnosing the underlying problem; the freedom and flexibility of being your own boss and the warmth of the supporting practice team; and the variety and unpredictability. The worst bit is the uncertainty and the weight of responsibility. There’s also the constant undermining of patient confidence by the tabloid media. Headlines never read ‘GP saves a life’ or ‘GP helps depressed patient to recover’ despite this being a regular occurrence.