As I write this I am on call this weekend for my small group of physicians. Being 'on call' means that I am to answer my pager and try and help those calling in from any of these five other physicians. 'Call' is an integral part of a doctor's life and profession. There is no hiding from a pager for a doctor's entire career. A pager is like having a thousand dollar bill that you can't leave in the car or wash with the laundry. If a pager is lost then panic sets in and life comes to a grinding halt until it is found. Every doctor takes 'call' seriously.With a pager comes a mystical aura which doctors refer to as "The God's of Call". This concept was made famous in the classic book, 'The House of God' by Samuel Shem, M.D, Ph.D. The God's of Call dictate every aspect of a doctor's on-call life. Once a doctor is issued a pager, he or she is at the mercy of an all seeing force that moves through the universe and uses physicians beepers as it's metaphysical loudspeaker to channel it's messages to patients through their doctors from the vast sea of human experiences.
The Gods of Call know when a doctor gets a chance to sleep because the pager goes off waking him up. The Gods of Call dictate whether a blood draw or EKG will be successful. The Gods of Call also have telepathic powers so that a doctor will break stride on the way to one part of the hospital because she knows that another patient needs her urgently somewhere else without even being alerted. The sooner a physician acknowledges the awsome power of the Gods of Call the easier their lives will be.
When a physician retires, the Gods of Call move on to other doctors. The healing aura that is beamed through pagers, in a doctors dreams and over the hospital PA system helps to keep patients safe and keep physicians in awe of the demands and responsibilities of their craft.
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