Working as a healthcare professional is no doubt a revered career decision. However, it is a long and possibly daunting journey. I graduated from a prestigious dental college in Hyderabad. My career began almost as soon as I got into college because there were infinite opportunities for me to pursue.
During college, I was exposed to the various departments for dentists and medical graduates. My clinical rotations gave me a chance to actually discover my passion. I understood what piqued my interest and was able to choose my specialization accordingly. Most of us in college were great at academics. So, amassing academic knowledge was automatic. Our college taught us how to effectively apply theoretical skills. We learned how to treat patients, find a solution for the cause of an illness, and provide more than just temporary relief. Empathy is difficult to define, but better observed in a dental practice. Most procedures require establishing a basic level of trust and credibility with the patient in addition to providing prompt medical care. Our mentors became great resources. Most run their own clinics and give us opportunities to understand what the job would be like post graduation. .
After college, I had the opportunity to work with a renowned maxillofacial surgeon at one of the leading hospitals in India. This was the first time I felt any sense of responsibility while treating patients. The pressure in most surgical fields is intense. It is a highly demanding area of expertise. Nevertheless, you always have a team to work with. These moments taught me that preparing for surgery was like preparing for war. You need to be prepared for the worst, well equipped for the situation at hand, and have a team that has your back. There were nights when the team had to rush in at 2 am. There were some days and nights when we would be perpetually tired. We have seen an artery in the mouth burst and splatter the room around me! I assisted through 6 hours of surgery, working with surgeons from different departments. I learned how to break sensitive news to families. These experiences mature you, but what brings me peace of mind is knowing that I have alleviated someone’s suffering.
There are many fields to explore within healthcare and medical care itself. My academic and professional experiences taught me about sectors ranging from clinical practice, corporate hospitals to insurance companies.
It is essential to find what you would like to invest your time and energy in, before zeroing in on one branch of medicine for the rest of your life. My career began in dentistry. However, the lack of resources and disconnect in the health systems provided to the poor are what drew me to Public Health. Reaching out to people and being empathetic to their needs is an important skill that I learned quite early in life. My conversation with college seniors gave me insights in the field of Public Health. These conversations, along with my freelance experience, elucidated how healthcare can be intimated for the average individual.
Public Health helped me understand that we can change healthcare from within by working with entire communities rather than individuals. This is what drew me to pursue a career in Public Health. I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Public Health while also working for an international public health organization. My work includes daily monitoring of global health and health topics, including COVID-19, Universal Health Coverage, SDGs, NCDs, antimicrobial resistance, and more. I also assist in project management. This includes projects in domains ranging from tuberculosis to menstrual hygiene. In clinical practice, I learned how to prescribe drugs and provide treatment to patients for their problems. As a preventive medicine doctor I work to prevent patients from landing up in these clinics in the first place. This is to safeguard the health of the community at large. I am fortunate to currently be part of a team with many women in healthcare. Working in a cohesive workspace like this helps everyone get better, together.
Healthcare is a vast field. There are several invaluable ways to make a difference. For those interested in public health for instance, there are many different roles available. The field requires you to address many problems and solve them at a greater scale. Therefore, working in this sector helps you make an impact at the population level. Since the field is diverse and the scope is immense, it takes some time for people to find their niche. Generalists have a plethora of options from which to choose. What has helped me and my peers is to arm ourselves with the knowledge and skills required for any work. A lot of this comes from learning by doing. Skills such as management, leadership, and governance play an important role in many of the jobs in this sector. A public health professional often acts as a key link between government authorities and the common man. Managing people, money, and resources are important for work here, as much as in anyone’s personal life. Most of the projects are well funded by leading organizations and charities of the world. Therefore, everyone has a shared responsibility to be accountable for how the budget is utilized and work is done.
The work we do does not just affect the field of public health alone, but also has an impact in several different fields that you might not be aware of. So, at the end of the day, you are making an impact on lives, without directly seeing who is benefitting from it. If you care about making a difference, you will surely be able to do that in public health.
Author: Rishika Dey is a Public Health doctor by profession, after working as a dentist. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Public Health with the aim of simplifying healthcare to make the average individual’s life a bit better. You can find her on: