Beyond radiology profession
The panel discussion on ‘Talents beyond radiology’ focussed on how some leading radiologists from India have pursued various other professional talents such as music, classical dancing, painting, scrabble championships, table tennis and more, while they continue their radiology practice and having excelled in both fields. Radiologists Jwala Srikala, classical dancer; Durga Prasad a Veena player; Varisht Hingorani a scrabble champion, Anagha Kale Joshi a table tennis player; Rochant Pant a guitarist; Hemant Morparia a cartoonist; Sudhir Patwardhan a painter have achieved national reputes and are very successful in following their passions. In this panel discussion these talented radiologists talked about how they pursued their passions outside the radiology field despite all odds. They also discussed on how these talents have helped them in amplifying their radiology practice and maintain an equilibrium of mind and body.
The session was moderated by Dr Bhavin Jankharia, Chief Radiologist, Picture This. The discussion raised various queries from the audience on the battles these radiologists face while striking a balance between radiology practice and their profession talents.
At first, Dr Jankharia gave a brief description of each panelists’ achievements and then requested them to speak about their proud moments.
The panellists shared their experiences and talked about their proudest moments as artists and how they balanced honing their skills in both roles. Speaking about the need for people to follow their passions Dr Rochan Pant, Interventional Radiology and Guitarist said, “If you have a passion you have no choice”. Talking about how radiology has helped him in his scrabble tournament, Consultant Radiology and National Scrabble Champion, Dr Varisht Hingorani, shared, “Radiology helped in scrabble because a lot of medical words come very easily.” Next, these experts went on to talk about the relation and advantages in pursuing their passions. “Both are visual mediums. Being a doctor gives you a privileged access to the lives of people – it deepens your understanding as an artist,” Dr Sudhir Patwardhan, Radiologist and Painter, cheerfully said. Similarly, Dr Durga Prasad, Veena player being extremely passionate about the subject said, “Emotion-fullness and emotional freedom- music helped me focus better on my studies and my profession.” “Radiology is the perfect medical branch for me and table tennis is the perfect sport for me- both involve quick thinking and reactions:, added, Dr Anagha Kale Joshi, Radiologist and Table tennis player.
The panellists further spoke on how each of these professions compliment each other. Dr Hemant Morparia, Interventional Radiologist and Cartoonist astutely said, “Radiology is about tissue diagnosis, cartooning is about issue diagnosis. Therefore, each of these professions have a similarity and therefore, compliment each other.”
“You have to learn to react very, very fast when you dance, that has definitely made me more efficient as a radiologist. Moreover, it has given me an raw intuition that helps me out as I analyse the images” expressed, Dr Jwala Srikala, Interventional Radiologist and Classical dancer.
While the panelists continued speaking about how each of their talents inspires them to be better radiologist, Express Healthcare’s journalists asked them whether they ever planned to quit radiology having achieved great acclaim in their artistic talents. Also, while radiology is also a profession of human service, had they ever faced this dilemma of choosing between duty and fame. Replying to the same, Dr Srikaka, agreed that she had many times face the devil and the deep but has manage to fight within and overcome this challenge.
At the end, all the panellists encouraged other radiologists present at the conference to reunite with their passions and excel in radiology too.
Key Highlights:
- Both are visual mediums. Being a doctor gives you a privileged access to the lives of people – it deepens your understanding as an artist.
- Radiology gives sense of complexity, which helps disseminate art forms.
- Pursuing an art-form teaches you the skill of practicing.
- They discussed how taking up their hobbies required a lot of sacrifice, but also instilled a sense of freedom and content- you just have to learn to go the extra mile.