unpredictable clientele?

Unpredictable clients in a medical clinic might mean they are dangerous, or crazy or hard to tolerate. This doctor has managed to withstand all abuse, a busy schedule, low pay and remain in the clinic longer than any other doctor.

clients are the customers he treats.

unpredictable means that he cannot approach them and have first contact being able to know what they require, or what they will act like, or respond like.

So each client is different, and will behave in a manner that could be shocking or disruptive to him. He cannot approach them with the certainty of knowing how they will behave in this situation.

It can also mean in a business sense an unsteady flow of customers. Doctors are businessmen as they operate a clinic and pay rent and hire staff.

I think you hit it on the nose Talk72000.

I think you've punched yourself in the face.

The reference is to client demeanour, especially those that go ape **** when they discover doctors aren't god.

I think you read too much into the several lines that the original poster wrote.

Would you prefer that I observe that "relentless pace" and "dismal pay" are inconsistent with Talk's aside and eschew mention of what Talk talks thru and the context of sundry similar threads on the state of Chinese medical practice.

ie. Ceili nailed it.

I think that unpredictable clientele probably refers to varying numbers rather than varying moods but without more context, it's impossible to rule out either.

I initially thought that it referred to patients abusive to the doctors but in what country would abusive patients be tolerated by doctors, or the legal system?

If you never worked in a restaurant you will not understand. The lunch hour and dinner times are the busiest and most hectic in restaurants. The rest of the time it is very very slow. If the clinic is located in a mall it would experience this famine and feast schedule. Most patients are docile as they are hurting and want relief. Only a few would be disgruntled. Mostly ex-patients who felt badly treated would be angry but then they would go to government officials.

Doubtless, although I have dined in a few.

However, I'd posit that not having had experience as a Chinese doctor might be more telling.

Nonetheless based on what I have read about the state of the Chinese medical system and the demeanour of some disappointed patients and relatives I came to the ineluctable conclusion that the reference was to behaviour.

Finally, the pace of the clinic is described as relentless, which blows your allegorical observation out the restaurant window. I presume you are au fait with the meaning of relentless.

Good point, Lol. However, it may be that for China, as it is for Japan, the pace is made to seem relentless, even when it isn't. Workers are expected to put on a show of continued busyness, the central theme is one of 'nose to the grindstone' . Much of it is charade but the feeling is ever present.

Nancy is Indian and her example appears to be North American. The word "tenure" shows it.. China doesn't come into the picture.

Thank you talk72000, mea culpa.

I made an ass out of u and me in assuming that the question related to China instead of India, if indeed that is the case.

Relentless huh?

It is all right, we all make mistakes. I have made a feww booboos and never admitted them. I don't post too often so it kind of get forgotten.