I Owe It To Myself To Help Patients

Dr Sridevi REDDY responds to ThinkWellness360 questionnaire: 

Why and how did you think of becoming a doctor?

I just can’t recall how it happened, or emerged. It’s a fact that we’ve a handful of doctors in our family. My dad too wanted to become a doctor, but he opted for a doctorate in zoology and became a professor. He loved teaching. Well, the fact also is I always had this budding idea in mind — to becoming a doctor. The latent spark was actively nurtured by my parents. 

What made you think of, study and specialise in the system of medicine you now practice?

I did not choose homeopathy, but I believe that I was destined to be a homeopath. Homeopathy was, in more ways than one, the next best option when I just couldn’t make the so-called grade for admission into a conventional medical school. I opted for homeopathy without much fanfare, but as luck would have it I was slowly drawn and, what’s more, intrigued by its refined subtleties. It was inevitable that I became its ardent follower, believer and practitioner.

What has been your personal and professional experience as a doctor?

It has been a truly interesting journey, more so because balancing one’s personal and professional life isn’t always easy. What also adds to the challenge are a diversity of cases. They goad, also ‘test,’ you to garner all your resources to understanding, diagnosing, treating and helping patients to get back to good health. This makes the voyage hugely satisfying. Permit me to also mention the occasional instance, the ‘song’ of every doctor’s ‘burden’ — of getting bogged down by set routines, at times, aside from the, otherwise, happy, in-built stimulus that propels one to study, learn and also expand one’s knowledge base, while taking your skills to the next level.

What unique and special skills you have that has made the big difference for your patients?

I’m a patient listener and my empathy for patients helps them to open up easily — with their health problems. The Latin phrase, Aude sapere, or ‘dare to be wise,’ made famous by Dr Samuel Hahnemann, MD, the founder of homeopathy, motivates me to practising homeopathy, a system that is sync with the laws of nature — with the best of intentions, as also devotion. 

What is your best definition of optimal wellness and why?

Optimal wellness, in my view, encompasses physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social, environmental and financial health, with the right balance of each element, as it were, in every context. This is the goal and destination that we all have to strive for and achieve. We should also remember that this is not a static state, but a continuous, also dynamic, process.

Your ‘best’ case?

I recall my first day of posting as a budding homeopath at Andhra Pradesh Secretariat Health Centre. A 50-year-old gentleman presented with bleeding haemorrhoids [piles], which was troubling him, oft and on. He reported that it was just “terrible for the past few days.” I prescribed him a homeopathic remedy, which, in my view, was most appropriate. The patient visited me, a week later, to thank me. He said, with a beaming face, that the relief was more than tangible and that he had not felt so much better in the recent past. A modest man, he now revealed his identity: a senior IAS officer. This incident for a fresh medical graduate, juxtaposed by his appreciative words, gave me the much-needed boost and confidence. The case remains etched in my memory as one of my best ever among the many I have been fortunate to treat and succeed.

Your ‘not-so-good’ case?

Well, there are a few not-so-good cases where I wish I could have done better. I look at them as reminders to learn, relearn, and unlearn to doing better in the future.

What appeals to you the most?

Simplicity, sincerity, punctuality, and being true to one’s words.

What annoys you the most?

Egotism, sloppiness, closed-mindedness, and using short forms while writing.

Your favourite book?

There are many, mostly fiction. My favourite authors are Pearl S Buck, Ayn Rand, J K Rowling, and Robin Cook. Erich Segal’s Doctors is one of my most favourite books that I love to reread, time and again.

Your favourite joke?

I first got the true taste of fun and laughter from Reader’s Digest in my childhood. I’m still hooked to their famed columns: ‘All in a Day’s Work,’ ‘Humour in Uniform,’ and ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine.’

Your favourite song?

There are many songs that I love, but I’ve found Maroon 5 – Memories most touching and relevant in the turbulent times that we now live in.

Your favourite movie?

It’s difficult to pick just one. Dear Zindagi, Notting Hill, Gol Maal [Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee] and The Godfather are among my ‘Top-4’ all-time favourite movies.

Your favourite TV, Netflix show?

The Good Doctor, The Stranger Things, Manifest [Prime Video].

Your other interests, or hobbies?

Music, reading, and cooking. I love dancing too, and I plan to learn it someday.

Your goal in life?

It is said, “Growing involves adding life to one’s years and aging involves adding years to one’s life.” Life is a process of growing and growing up involves adding maturity and joy to every moment. My goal is not only to grow and mature, while adding joy in my own life, but also helping others to live joyfully and staying well — in mind, body and spirit.

Dr SRIDEVI REDDY, BHMS, who also holds a PG Diploma in Holistic Health Care, Certificate in Psychoneurobics, and Third Degree in Reiki, is now pursuing MA [Psychology], with just as much diligence and fervour as the new kid on the block. She lives and practises homeopathy in New Delhi.