Social media is worsening the scenario as a lot of misinformation is often spread on various platforms about skincare products and trends. It makes the job of dermatologists more difficult to sort out this mess having to educate people more, create awareness, and bust myths.
1. Tell us about your upbringing, background, and journey?
I was the firstborn of my parents. My father is a doctor an ex-Air Force officer. Being born and raised as a child of a Defense Officer, I have to move all over the country wherever my father got posted. I have done my schooling all over the country. Being exposed to different cultures each time he got posted to another place, made me learn to adapt well to changes.
I had always wanted to be a doctor and got the chance to fulfill my dream. While in my internship, I got married to a doctor, now a dermatologist like me, who is also presently serving in the Indian Air Force.
I come through-and-through from a Defence Services background. My grandfather was also an ex-Air Force officer and so were both my in-laws. My mother-in-law retired as the first lady Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.
I became a young mother and had to raise my daughter myself without much family support. I joined the Indian Air Force as a Medical Officer but left prematurely as there was no one to take care of my daughter. I decided to give my career a back seat.
I gave my medical career a break to bring up my daughter because my husband was busy as he was doing his postgraduation. During this time, I pursued medical transcription and did a course from NIIT in computers.
When my husband finished his post-graduation, I decided to take the PG entrance exam after a gap of five years and cleared it in the first attempt. Dermatology is what I took up as my specialty. I completed the postgraduation with flying colors but still could not have a stable career as my husband kept getting posted every three years.
I did not want to stay alone with my daughter and pursue my career as I wanted her to have the best of both parents in her growing years. It is when my daughter entered her ninth grade that I decided to move to Delhi for her education in 2012, and there has been no looking back ever since. Despite not being able to have a stable career in the initial years, today I have set up my own clinic in South Delhi and my daughter is in her final semester of MBBS.
2. Why did you choose to be a doctor and decide what you specifically want to do?
I had always dreamt of being a doctor since my childhood. I am the fourth-generation doctor in my family and I guess it runs in the genes!
I had the option of choosing gynecology, radiology, or dermatology and at that time went with my gut feeling and chose dermatology. I had no idea at that time how passionate I would be about it one day.
3. We salute your work during the pandemic, where did you get the inspiration to work so hard?
Having been a Defence Officer myself, a wife, daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law of defense officers as well, I think hard work has been inculcated in me. As an individual trait as well, I am very passionate about what I do and don’t take up anything if I cannot put in my 100 percent best to it.
The pandemic brought back the feeling of being more compassionate towards my patients and it was a feeling of déjà vu, as the same emotions had sprung up when I was serving in the Indian Air Force as a doctor during the Kargil war, looking after the medical needs of the families of the air warriors.
4. How is the lifestyle of a dermatologist different than that of other doctors?
I think I’m glad I took up dermatology as it is a relatively cool specialty with only rare emergencies to attend. This gives me time to engage in a lot of other activities. I keep myself involved in a lot of academic activities, publishing scientific papers, writing chapters for textbooks of dermatology, and editing scientific papers.
We also have a more glamorous specialty as many of us are aesthetic dermatologists as well. As I am inherently artistic, I love the aesthetic dermatology aspect of the specialty.
5. What is the most challenging aspect of dermatology?
Dermatology has become an extremely challenging specialty today as we have moved away from just conventional dermatology to skincare, aesthetics, surgical aspects, and others. A lot of untrained people are joining the bandwagon making cosmetic treatments look easy.
Even salons are offering services like laser hair reduction which can be so dangerous and people who go there are unaware of the complications that can occur.
Social media is worsening the scenario as a lot of misinformation is often spread on various platforms about skincare products and trends. It makes the job of dermatologists more difficult to sort out this mess having to educate people more, create awareness, and bust myths.
6. What are your concerns about Digital Health?
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a completely new lifestyle and one of the most important being work from home. This trend has seeped into the medical profession as well. Virtual consultations are to an extent alright for specialties such as dermatology which are mostly based on visual inspection.
However, virtual consultations can never replace or equate to physical consults. Examining the patient in toto is so important to reach an accurate diagnosis and many things may be missed in a virtual consult.
However, I think helping patients via virtual consults is gratifying in the present situation of the pandemic when the country is in a lockdown. Exposure of patients to the infection is limited as they can seek professional medical help from their homes. Virtual e-commerce pharmacies have also geared up and provided medicines to the doorstep. This is a great new normal.
7. What is your message for aspiring doctors and the young generation?
As a senior consultant dermatologist, I would like to tell all aspiring doctors that there are no shortcuts to being a doctor. A doctor is a learner throughout his/her life. Be passionate about your work as only then will you be able to sustain. Hard work and the ability to adapt to different situations are the mantras. Keep stress at bay and maintain a healthy lifestyle as the demands from doctors are many more in today’s era.
Dr. Gulhima Arora - DNB MNAMS
Fellow Philippine Academy of Clinical and Cosmetic Dermatology | Consultant Dermatologist & Cosmetologist | Mehektagul Dermaclinic
Interviewed By: Vanshaj Chawla
This interview is sponsored by Plus91 Technologies, a leading Digital Health firm.
.jpeg)
){kind=link}
0 Comments