Talk presented at Kerala State Ophthalmological Society

1. The Happy
Ophthalmologist
Dr. Devin Prabhakar FRCS

2. The Happy Ophthalmologist:
24 November Friday 4 to 5pm, House Boat
• What makes a happy ophthalmologist
– Dr. Devin Prabhakar
– Prof. Sahasranamam
– Dr. Saikumar SJ
– Dr. Ashley Mulamootil
• Innovations for Tangible Growth Dr. Vinith Kumar Nair,
Professor & Associate Dean (External Affairs), TKM Institute of
Management 15 minutes
• Managing Ego States Dr. Santhosh V.A., Professor & Associate
Dean (Operations), TKM Institute of Management. 15 minutes

3. The Happy Ophthalmologist
• What makes you happy?
• Vacation?
• Volunteer work?
• Time with family?
• A new survey ranks
ophthalmologists among the
happiest specialists.
• Where are you on the happiness
scale?
24 November, 4pm to 5pm @ The House Boat, Raviz

4. Definition
• Happiness is a state of inner fulfilment, not the gratification of
inexhaustabe desire for outward things.
• Happiness is not something you pursue, it is something you allow.

10. Physician Burnout
•Revised Declaration of Geneva: World
Medical Association Oct 2017
–I WILL ATTEND TO my own health, well-being,
and abilities in order to provide care of the
highest standard.

11. Tip 1. Be Grateful
• The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today is
to be grateful for what you have.
• Koran: If you are grateful I will give you more; but if you are
ungrateful verily my punishment is indeed severe.
• Gospel of Mathew: Whoever does not have gratitude even what he
has will be taken from him.

12. Happiness Tip 2. Buy Experiences
• We are happy with things till we see better things are available.
• Things that are hard to bear are sweet to remember.

13. Tip 3. Buy Time
• We agree to do something far in advance, only to regret it when
time rolls around.
• Stop doing things you can pay someone to do for you.

14. Tip 4. Have a success list instead of to do
list
• I bargained with Life for a penny, And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening, When I counted my scanty store;
For Life is just an employer, He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages, Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial's hire, Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life, Life would have paid.”
• ― Jessie B. Rittenhouse

15. Tip 5. Invest in others

16. Medscape survey
• The happiest ones find time to enjoy pleasures away from the
office.
– Favorite Hobby: running, swimming, biking ranked highest
– Reading and travel followed closely behind.
– More than 30% admitted that surfing the web was their favorite pastime.
• Volunteer activities play a significant role in the lives of happy
ophthalmologists and physicians in general.
• The unhappiest physicians on the Medscape survey were those
who reported not volunteering at all.

17. Last Word
•Physicians who invest their
energies into growing their
practices for their patients'
sake say their hard work is
worthwhile. But those who
labor through extra hours
simply to buy a new
Mercedes rarely reach their
happiness goals.

18. Suggested Reading
• The Secret: Rhonda Byrne
• Medicine and compassion: Choksyi Rinpoche
• Search Inside Yourself: Chade Meng Tan
• The Shadow Effect: Deepak Chopra
• You can Heal your Life: Louise Hay