‘Empathy, healing heart, and blending science with respect for wisdom'

Indian Express

a day ago

While a doctor found her strength in being empathetic to others' mental illness, creation of a human being drove another. On National Doctors Day, medical experts from the Tricity region share a lesson that was never in medical textbooks but changed everything for them.
'The road less travelled…'
Dr Shalini Naik, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER, Chandigarh
I first stumbled upon the captivating world of genetics and evolutionary theories in high school. I was so enthralled that I dreamt of delving deeper into them. But life had other plans, or rather, my family did. As a first-generation learner, they wished to see me become a doctor, a dream of my parents that I chose to honour. During my MBBS at Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, I discovered a deep resonance with cardiovascular medicine, and I found myself excelling in it with ease, earning admiration from both peers and teachers. Everything pointed toward a career in cardiology until psychiatry quietly found me a few years later. During my medical internship at IMH Hyderabad, I chose psychiatry over radiology for my elective posting, driven by curiosity about the novel subject, and I could not have foreseen how defining that decision would be. It was during a clinical round with Dr Srilakshmi ma'am at IMH Hyderabad that I witnessed something transformative. She sat beside a dishevelled, homeless man suffering from thought broadcasting and auditory hallucinations. She leaned in with focused attention, asked thoughtful questions, listened without judgment, and interpreted his inner chaos with such clinical grace and human compassion. Her empathy and academic precision left me spellbound. Her calm, respect, and unwavering curiosity toward a man, whom society would call 'mad', deeply moved me. That moment changed me.
Despite the doubts and disapproval from my family and friends, who were concerned that my academic aptitude may go to waste in a less conventional speciality riddled with stigma, I knew deeply where my purpose must be. I recognised my strengths were my ability to be emotionally attuned to others, to hold space for suffering, and to seek meaning beyond symptoms. I listened to my instincts and found a true calling in psychiatry. I believed skills could be trained, but a sense of purpose is something you carry in your bones. I went on to secure MD Psychiatry at NIMHANS, Bangalore and have remained a lifelong student of knowledge, of people, and of the human mind. In those years of doubt and detours, the final lines of, 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost kept me going. The final lines anchored me, 'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by.'
As a faculty in the Psychiatry Department at the PGIMER, I have the privilege not only to teach clinical psychiatry but also to mentor students in therapeutic communication, active listening, and emotional presence. Even today, I remain fascinated by the genetic and evolutionary underpinnings of the human mind. I find myself returning to the questions of genes and evolution to understand our psyche. To me, psychiatry is the confluence of science, soul, and story. The road I chose was not the most celebrated, but it led me to the most meaningful work I could imagine. Medicine is vast, and so is every speciality, whether our paths are popular or solitary, what defines us is not where we begin, but the heart with which we serve. I often say this with pride: I am a doctor by chance, but a psychiatrist by choice. That made all the difference.
'When the first baby was born into my hands…'
Dr Shaveta Gupta, Associate Director, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mohali
My gloves were on, my mind was focused, but nothing could prepare my heart for that moment. A tiny human, eyes closed, fists tight, breathing its first air, crying to announce its arrival. And suddenly, my hands weren't just hands, they were the first ones this baby had ever touched. I wasn't just a doctor in that moment — I was a witness to creation, the medium between the divine and the earth. I looked at the mother, exhausted but glowing, and felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude. No textbook prepares you for this, no exam tests you on the emotion of holding life for the very first time. That first delivery doesn't just bring a child into the world; it rebirths the doctor within you. The most profound lesson I learned? That healing isn't just science, it's presence. It's in listening without judgment, touching with compassion, and speaking not from the head but from the heart. It's in being a silent witness to strength I never knew existed — when a woman bears labour pains, survives cancer, or picks up her life after a loss. My message to every young doctor, especially every young woman in medicine, is that let your science be sharp, but let your soul be softer still. Because the world needs not just skilled hands, but a healing heart, and that heart, that's not in any textbook. But it's what truly changes lives, including my own.
'Situations teach us how to balance science with empathy'
Dr Vishav Goyal, Consultant, Orthopaedics, Joint Replacement & Arthroscopic Surgery, Manipal Hospital
As doctors, we are trained to follow evidence-based medicine, backed by years of research and clinical trials. Textbooks are a vital part of a doctor's life, but what we are often not prepared for is how to deal with what we see in real-life practice, the emotional barriers, and the deep personal choices patients make in their health journey. Situations and time often teach us how to balance science with empathy, how to gently correct without judgment, and how to earn trust. Above all, time, experience, and human connection taught us how to deal with emotions. What this has taught me is that healing is not only about what we prescribe, but also about listening, observing, and acknowledging the lived experiences of patients. It's about blending science with respect for wisdom, wherever it offers safe and genuine comfort.
'The effort is to treat beyond prescription'
Dr Vikas Sharma, Director, National Skin Hospital, Panchkula
In medical college, we were trained to diagnose, manage, and treat. For dermatologists, that meant memorising dermatoses, recognising patterns, and perfecting procedures. But the lesson that truly reshaped how I practice wasn't found in any textbook.
It was the realisation that what seems minor to us, a rash, a pimple, a patch of pigmentation, hair loss, can deeply affect how someone feels about themselves. Skin is the most visible part of our identity. A diagnosis that may seem routine to us might be the reason someone avoids mirrors, social events, or even relationships.
The real turning point came not from complex cases, but from understanding the quiet psychological burden our patients carry. A teenager with acne isn't just battling inflammation; they're navigating self-esteem. A woman with melasma isn't just asking for a cream; she's often asking for confidence. This taught me to listen more, not just to symptoms but to concerns unspoken. To treat beyond the prescription. To remember that reassurance can be as important as skin meds. So today, I reflect on how medicine is not just about outcomes, but about awareness. The greatest lesson was in learning that every skin concern is tied to a story, and treating the person behind the diagnosis is what makes the real difference.