The Field of Psychiatry Is Unique Not Only for the General Population but Also for Doctors Who Plan to Take It up as Their Career and Build Their Life Around It
Tell us about your upbringing, background and journey?
I was born and brought up in Vadodara, Gujarat. I completed my schooling and MBBS from Gujarat and then my journey towards building my professional life started. I moved to Nagpur, Maharashtra for my post-graduation degree - M.D in Psychiatry.
It was a new and altogether a very different experience as I had never stayed away from home and also alone, and then a new city with a new language and new field. I learnt a new language, had fun with my hostel mates and also had a great time learning so much about the world of Psychiatry and how it evolved to become a field of medicine.
I got to know so much more about human behaviour. That time of my life helped me create my professional life, and also it shaped my personality and helped me become the person I am today and made me a lot more confident.
The field of psychiatry is unique not only for the general population but also for doctors who plan to take it up as their career and build their life around it.
The patients of my field also need a lot of care, kindness, compassion and most importantly empathy so it’s important to incorporate those qualities when you are in this field.
Why did you choose to be a doctor and decide what you specifically want to do?
My father is my biggest inspiration, and his upbringing, mentoring, caring nature, and his profession encouraged me even more. He is a doctor and while growing up I used to love going to his clinic and wearing a stethoscope, which I am sure many kids love, but seeing him help people, treating them, attending patients even at midnight, and seeing the happy faces coming to him after they became fine was in itself a very warm feeling, very satisfying how people relied on him for medical help and other help too, he became a part of so many lives and guided them not only for medical advice but for other emotional problems also, which always made me think that talking to patients and listening to them is so important.
So many people don't have anyone to talk to and hence they feel alone, which many a time leads to their adverse decisions about life and I was very intrigued by human behaviour in general and always wanted to know more about it.
So that inspired me to take psychiatry as a field of profession and choose to help people heal their inner selves, which is as important as healing our physical (outer) body.
How do you expect digital health to grow over the next 5 years?
As the new age progresses, technological advancements are unstoppable. For a smart and fast-paced world, it is even a necessity, and it's already progressing quickly and will grow further immensely.
The reason behind it is, first of all, the ease of ways to get things done through your smart devices, at your fingertips. Second of all, no one likes waiting in line for their turn to come for consultation or even for meeting someone special. In today’s era patients can easily and quickly book their appointments, know their doctor in detail, and also know about all offered services.
So, to get help through your phone according to your time and at the convenience of dwelling, even for the tiniest of problems or a big problem is a blessing for anyone. So, for getting any kind of medical help through digital media, many people will opt for it. But all pros do come with cons.
What are your concerns about Digital Health?
People misuse it, by avoiding going to the doctor, by waiting till the problem worsens, as some conditions need physical attention and immediate intervention which becomes a threat to life if not treated on time.
Also, peripheral problems like people creating fake profiles of doctors to deceive patients into giving large amounts of money and give wrong pieces of advice which again is dangerous. So, you should know the right platform to get help from.
Can you let us know any one application of Digital Health in your country which has impressed you?
There are many applications of digital health, but one of them is the apps available on the play store and apple store freely like 'Inner hour', for meditation and deep breathing exercises, 'Presently' for gratitude journaling.
These apps especially help us during our tough times in reducing our anxiety levels by teaching us deep breathing exercises and which in turn helps regulate our nervous as well as respiratory system. 'Dr. lybrate' is an application for online consultations which helps bring doctors closer to patients on an online platform.
Another application is the Aarogya Setu app which updates our status of vaccination, and is resourceful in providing information about COVID- 19 positive patients around us, ICMR approved labs, covid 19 care hospitals etc, which became a great help for COVID 19 positive patients and their relatives.
What is your message for aspiring doctors and the young generation?
As Wayne Dyer said, “Love what you do; Do what you love”, I would say that choose your field according to your interest and what you love doing and what you imagine yourself doing for the rest of your life and not because it is high earning.
Also, don't fall into the trap of mob mentality where you follow the masses and choose a field because everyone else does it. Your life depends on your work and your decisions so it should be the one that you really want to do and so your decision should be backed by future opportunities and research. You have to do your work daily, and each day of yours will be spent in that field of your choice.
What does your typical day look like and what do you like to do besides work?
I wake up, do some kind of self-reflection exercises, like meditation or deep breathing, then get ready for work, have some healthy breakfast. After the warm and proper breakfast, I leave for the hospital. After work in the evening, I go for an evening walk and do some journaling in which I write down my thoughts, and prepare for the next day, then I give some time to look into the latest and recent research in my field to keep myself updated.
Also, throughout the day, the obvious ones have to be fitted in, like household chores, snacks, light dinner by 9 pm, and then I am off to bed. Also, whenever I get time during the day, I write down 5 things I am grateful for, each day which grounds me to the present moment and fills my heart with joy and content, a very simple practice but it helps us in becoming more aware of ourselves, helps gain clarity on what really matters in life what really makes us happy.
Besides work, my interests are in art, preparing landscapes, painting, decorating and designing my own interior space.
Interviewed by - Yashika Khanna
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