"Empathy is one of the most powerful emotions. Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes and to see through their eyes can change the word. Growing up, my brother taught me that. He is like a third parent to me, a mentor and my best friend"
September 2021 : Mumbai, Maharashtra
"My recent tenures as an intern at both King Edward Memorial Hospital & the NESCO COVID-19 Centre were challenging and impactful experiences.
The fatigue of working long and hectic hours without breaks, the long shifts and the powerlessness of not being able to bring a change; time and again, my hands were tied due to the inadequate facilities at the hospitals, and the heart-crushing moments of watching patients struggle to pay their medical bills.
Those times taught me a great amount. They taught me the harsh truth of life: I simply can not help everybody, every time -- despite my best intentions.
Empathy is one of the most powerful emotions. Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes and to see through their eyes can change the word. Growing up, my brother taught me that. He is like a third parent to me, a mentor and my best friend.
Being empathetic has helped me at work. As a doctor, I've been able to connect with my patients, understand their feelings, their worries, hesitations, and sometimes, their powerlessness. By putting myself in their shoes, I am able to gain their trust, thereby assuring them that I am doing everything in my power to provide them the best possible treatment.
In a recent case, my empathy for a new mother in the neonatal ICU heightened my caution in treating her newborn daughter. Until that point, I considered the day I graduated from medical school to be the happiest day of my life, but witnessing the gratitude she expressed with her little girl in her arms that day, has proved me otherwise."