Dr. Sara had just finished a long evening clinic. It was past 10 pm. She had one cup of cold tea on her desk and a list of things she still needed to do before going to sleep. Her phone buzzed.
A voice note. Four minutes long.
She pressed play. A familiar voice began, casual and unhurried. “Yar, so basically what happened was…” It went on. There were pauses, some background noise, and a few “you knows.” The actual question arrived somewhere around the three-minute mark.
Dr. Sara listened to the whole thing. Then she put her phone down and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
She did not reply that night.
This is not about being unfriendly
We are a profession that prides itself on care. We think carefully about how we treat patients. We are trained to be thorough, precise, and considerate. But somewhere between the clinic and the WhatsApp message, some of that consideration gets left behind.
Calling a colleague “yar” in a professional conversation is not warmth. It is familiarity that was not offered. Sending a four-minute voice note when a two-line text would do is not being thorough. It is asking someone to spend their time in a way that suits you, not them. Calling at 11 pm for something that can wait until morning is not urgency. It is a habit that has gone unchecked.
The other person has a day too
Doctors are busy. Everyone in this field knows that. But knowing it does not always translate into respecting it. The consultant you are messaging at midnight just finished a ward round. The colleague you sent a voice note to is in the middle of something. The person on the other end of your casual “yar” may be someone whose time and title deserve a little more thought.
None of this requires a formal course in etiquette. It only requires a second of thought before pressing record or hitting call.
A few simple habits worth keeping
Ask yourself if this is a good time to call before calling. If the question fits in a text, send a text. If you must send a voice note, keep it under a minute and get to the point quickly. Use someone’s proper name or title until they invite otherwise. And if it is late at night and no one is bleeding, it can wait until morning.
Dr. Sara replied the next morning, with a smile and a clear answer. The question had been simple all along. It just needed a little more respect for her time to find its way to her properly.