This book traces my journey from a medical student to become a full family and community doctor. It starts with my first entry into the medical faculty of the University of Singapore full of enthusiasm only to see a hall of cadavers all ready for dissection. Finally I became a medical doctor only to realize that it is conditional upon my finishing 1 year of housemanship or internship. I was sent from one department to another to finish my year of medical work in the public hospitals of Singapore. There was a lot to learn on the way and I improve on my medical skills as I went onwards on my journey to full registration. There were the good , the bad and the ugly among the medical doctors I encountered on the way as well as nursing staff and patients. I learn about the inevitability of death and sometimes however you hard you try, you can not save lives as you wish to. I learn about how to communicate with patients and later as a community doctor how to bond with them. Then there are the pitfalls of a medical doctor practice about the risks of accusations of molestations unless you take proper precautions. As a family doctor you become immersed with your community of patients and their problems. You become their family counselor and adviser. You find that the most important treatment of a patient is by prevention through health education and healthy living. After 37 years you become a part of the patient's life and his family. 4 generations of patients slowly become part of your medical life.That is the life of a Family doctor and my tale of how I become one!TABLE OF CONTENTChapter 1 IN THE BEGINNINGChapter 2 THE NEW DOCTORChapter 3 THE ENT DEPARTMENTChapter 4 A TALE OF 2 CANCERSChapter 5 THE ANESTHETIC DEPARTMENTChapter 6 A TALE OF 2 ANESTHETISTSChapter 7 ANESTHESIA, SURGEONS and SLEEPChapter 8 THOMSON ROAD GENERAL HOSPITALChapter 9 EMERGENCIES AND NIGHT DUTIESChapter 10 MALARIA PATIENTChapter 11 THE MILK DRIPChapter 12 VALLEY OF THE DOLLSChapter 13 INSECTICIDE POISONINGChapter 14 MEDICAL COLLEAGUESChapter 15 MEDICAL LOCUMChapter 16 THE RUNDOWN FAMILY CLINICChapter 17 GROUP PRACTICE LOCUMChapter 18 FACTORIES, SHIP AND HOUSECALLSChapter 19 MY OWN FAMILY CLINICChapter 20 MY FIRST PATIENTChapter 21 WORD OF MOUTHChapter 22 MY COMMUNITY OF PATIENTSChapter 23 THE FAMILY DOCTORChapter 24 –ART OF COMMUNICATION IN FAMILY PRACTICEChapter 25 FAMILY COUNSELORChapter 26 ASSISTANT DOCTORChapter 27 THE PARTNERSHIPChapter 28 PITFALLS OF COMMUNITY DOCTORChapter 29 PIN IN THE FOOTChapter 30 ARTHRITIS CASESChapter 31 ASTHMA AND BREATHLESSNESSChapter 32 GASTRITISChapter 33 GASTROENTERITISChapter 34 TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIAChapter 35 SKIN INFECTIONSChapter 36 THE COMMON COLDChapter 37 INFLUENZAChapter 38 STORY OF AMAZING COLD SORE VIRUSChapter 39 ORIGINAL POEM ON SPAChapter 40 A DAY AT THE SPAChapter 41 COMPASSION