My Life Is My True Calling

I was born in a farming family in a small town in southern India. My father worked in the agricultural field for thirty years.  He realized while he was working that his children should receive the best education as he had faced many problems due to his illiteracy. This motivated my father to give me the best education without which I couldn’t have come this far. When I finished  tenth grade, I had to choose either Mathematics or Biology and I opted for Biology as I had an affinity for science since my childhood. I always stood in the top ten of my class. I pursued my medical education at the distinguished institution, Guntur Medical College. I commenced medical school with the aim of becoming an internist.

I, Siddharth Ramputty, 31 years old medical practitioner, hail from Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. I realised after my teen years , I could not be restricted to this small paradise (Imagine the fictional character Baggins from the Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien), so I left with all hopes and expectations to the "Incredible India" for my medical studies and Internship training and then later serve my country as a medical practitioner , had indeed changed my outlook and perspectives towards life. During those nostalgic transformative years, my friends and I , We with a lot of optimism , enthusiasm and sacrifices , overcame a lot

It was during my internship year that I found my niche in Internal Medicine. Fresh out of final year, it was intriguing how illnesses seldom presented as described in textbooks, the classic paroxysm in Malaria being a good case in point. Preexisting co-morbidities and medications served to add another layer of complexity, effectively individualizing every person that presented to the service. Every bedside came with a different set of challenges even if the illness was the same. By the time the shift was over I would have interpreted Pulmonary Function Tests to adjust medications for a 60 year old with emphysema, ruled out dengue in a

Being medical professionals, they imbibe qualities of excellence and compassion. They have gifted the teachings and principles of tolerance towards one and all, towards life and its setbacks, and, towards oneself. This is more valuable than the toys, clothes and books they purchased. Finally they inculcated the spirit and essence of living a life for the benefit of mankind. Eternally, they remain to be my parents, friends, philosophers and above all, mentors. My mother is an M.D. Gynaecologist. My father is an M.D. Paediatrician. They are like the perfect couple doctors. One delivers babies and one takes care of them in their age. My parents have given up many things in life for my sake for which I will respect them forever. Whatever spiritual values I have are all because of them. They wish to fulfil their dreams through my hands. Thus it becomes my duty towards them to do well in my academics and also do well in my

The internal medicine clerkship during my third year of medical school sparked my interest in internal medicine. I was on an inpatient internal medicine team during my first month of the clerkship. Analyzing patient data and developing plans of care with the internal medicine team during rounds was exciting for me. I also observed how physicians would take

The ideology of following your every whim may seem romantic to some youth in their philosophy of this inherited world, but it is impractical. Truth be told, 13 years of medical training and $419,738 of student debt (according to CBS News) does not ensure you a position as a doctor. Perhaps, instead of pursuing your dream job as a surgeon at the nation’s number one facility, you consider assisting Doctors Without Borders, a noteworthy cause. Driven by the longing to solve existing problems will help you to realize where your true passion lies. Many

During my third year of medical school I approached my rotations with an open mind. I had not been exposed to many of the specialties, having no family members in healthcare and developing my interest in medicine late in my college career. Through discussions with new physician mentors, I attempted to take the best out of each rotation. I liked surgery because of the hands-on approach and the team environment in the operating room. Internal medicine provided me the opportunity to diagnose and work through complex medical issues, while at the same time building rapport with patients to explain their disease or treatment. Emergency medicine had the fast pace and diverse cases I was interested in. During my anesthesia rotation I realized it had

In the course of my clerkship as a medical student, I rotated across various medical specialties; the variety of exposure I encountered gave me adequate insight to choose a residency path without difficulty. In my consideration, I sought for a medical field that would accommodate my career goals,

Since the beginning of Medical Terminology I have loved and appreciated the values and capabilities of medical technology and have been fascinated with the way our bodies work and maintain themselves. The health science courses I have taken have made me realize my dream of not only working in health care but someday make a difference in it. In Med Term I learned vocabulary crucial in healthcare along with many ways in which our bodies work and functions and currently am learning how to properly treat patients along with how to chart and treat different situations preparing me for future instances in the healthfield making me familiar with many abbreviations used in the medical profession and ultimately shaping me into a better health care provider

“No, you cannot marry someone from India!”, that is what my grandparents told my father, a Pakistani, when he told them that my mother was with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life if he wanted to be happy. My father has always been my fund of determination, courage, and commitment. It was because of these strengths in his character that he was able to convince his parents to bring my mother to Pakistan and marry her. This is one of the many junctures for which I look up to my father as a beacon of light for me in the darkest of times. Born into a family of engineers everyone anticipated that I will walk down the same road, but gradually it dawned on me that medicine was my true calling. I knew that if I was to be happy, I had to pursue my passion, which was medicine. The pursuit of medicine is a long journey replete with trials and tribulations which were eased only due to the unwavering support of my father. Years of hard work can only be condensed into one moment when I found out that I was accepted into Dow Medical College, Karachi, the most prestigious state funded medical school.

Allied Health was my first real exposure to the medical process, and allowed me to gain a clear picture of why I believe I would excel in this profession. The first semester of Allied Health was spent in the classroom, pouring over basic medical practices, medical terminology, and anatomy. Before this, I had known subjectively that being a doctor meant knowing a lot of stuff, but I was unprepared for the overwhelming amount of objective information Dr. Lynott taught us for two hours each day. Going into her office one day to inquire about a poor grade, I remember asking "Is it really this much studying to be a doctor?" Her immediate response has shaped my idea of what it means to be a medical doctor to this day. "When a patient is on the table, that much studying could mean the

After Initial years of medical school, based on inquisitiveness and the length of time I was eager to spend in Internal Medicine, I chose it as my future path. It is exciting to have the curiosity to pick the small clues and make the diagnosis. During my clinical years at medical school, I always

Why internal medicine? The answer is simple: Love. I love the world of mysteries where solving a complicated case could result in saving a life. During my internal medicine rotation, I realized that everything takes place with one major goal in mind: The patient’s wellbeing. Every day I woke up with enthusiasm to rush to the hospital where there was always a patient seeking my help, waiting to know more about his/her health and striving to become well. Furthermore, the clinical rotations I did in the U.S. over a period of eight months solidified my interest in internal medicine and introduced me to the American healthcare system. I enjoyed practicing evidence based medicine. I truly found pleasure in one-on-one patient interaction. The art

I have always possessed a strong interest in understanding the intricacies of biology, which had influenced one of the most important decisions of my life; joining medical school. As much as it was an enjoyable day-to-day learning process, during the clinical years, I particularly relish my internal medicine rotation experience that involved intricate thought processes in understanding complex diseases, diagnostic approaches, and patient management. That experience certainly kindled my interest in internal medicine; the more I learned, the more I wanted to join the department.

Unlike many of my peers, the reason for my choice of becoming a doctor was not associated with any nostalgic childhood memories of being fascinated by family members in medical field. For generations, our ancestral family occupation was farming and it was my father’s dream to see me become a doctor. He was a true altruist and wanted me to help ailing people to recover from illness. I decided to fulfil his dream as I loved doing anything for the person whom I love the most in my life. Unlike the Western system of medical education, Indian medical schooling is six years long, starts after high school. During high schooling all I know was to spend time playing Cricket, the all time favorite sport of Indian Subcontinent. I hardly paid any attention to the career path my father wished me to take up. Getting in to the State Medical schools in India was a highly difficult task with about 1-2% acceptance rate, but I could make it because of my hard work and I wanted to enjoy the happiness my father would experience from my admission in medical school. I graduated from Medical School obtaining Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in Surgery (MBBS) successfully followed up with one year internship at King George Hospital, Vizag, India that gave me a new perspective to a physician’s role in society, and set forth my pursuit for a career in health care. Internship was extremely rewarding both clinically and personally. As I worked at this government supported