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Art by Oncologist
1 Passion beyond profession: Why every young doctor must cultivate a life outside medicine
Oncology is a discipline that challenges emotional neutrality. It draws its practitioners into the most intimate human struggles—fear, uncertainty, suffering, hope, and loss ; often within the confines of brief consultations and time-pressured decisions. Precision is demanded at every clinical juncture, yet little space is consciously reserved for the oncologist’s own psychological restoration. Sixteen years into clinical practice, I have learned that the clinician who survives, grows, and continues to serve with clarity is not the one who merely extends clinic hours or accumulates academic output, but the one who deliberately nourishes a passion well outside of medicine. For me, that enduring passion has been music.
2 Music as a passion & the binding fabric of my family
My relationship with music began long before I even understood the term “cancer” and what a career in oncology might entail. At the age of seven, I was introduced to the guitar, an experience that quietly shaped my discipline, patience and emotional expression. Over the years, this expanded into learning the keyboard and later evolved into a deeper engagement with classical piano. At the age of forty, I formally undertook Western classical piano training through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), London alongside my two daughters. Starting a rigorous artistic discipline in midlife was both humbling and intimidating. Yet learning together transformed the experience into something far richer than technical instruction. It created a shared language of effort, vulnerability and encouragement. Our piano classes became protected spaces of joy; where time for me was defined not by urgency or productivity, but by mere “presence” with children - a rare sanctuary in a physician’s household. My wife, herself a busy ophthalmologist and the emotional anchor of our family, is a trained classical vocalist. Her intuitive understanding of music helped us integrate it not merely as recreation, but as a binding fabric of our family life.
3 Purposeful passion – a neurocognitive rejuvenation and recalibration
Modern cognitive neuroscience provides compelling evidence for why sustained engagement in personal passions is biologically protective for physicians. I shall describe the same with evidence based medicine which one can look up to understand the profound impact passion driven activities have on the human mind. Activities that demand focused creativity—music, visual art, writing, dance, or skilled craftsmanship— consistently activate distributed neural networks involving the prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, and limbic structures. These regions collectively regulate attention, emotional processing, working memory, and executive function (Levitin, 2006; Zatorre et al., 2007; Davidson & McEwen, 2012). Purposeful creative engagement triggers a coordinated neurochemical cascade. Dopamine reinforces motivation and reward-based learning during sustained practice (Salimpoor et al., 2011). Serotonin contributes to mood stability and emotional regulation (Young, 2007). Endorphins alleviate physical tension and stress perception (Boecker et al., 2008). Oxytocin, particularly when activities are shared with loved ones or communities, strengthens relational bonds and psychological safety (Carter, 2014). These are not abstract biochemical concepts; they are the very systems that counter chronic stress, modulate autonomic overactivity, and buffer the emotional attrition that underlies physician burnout. By dampening hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis hyperactivation and restoring parasympathetic balance, hobbies act as a form of neurophysiological recalibration (McEwen, 2007; Shanafelt et al., 2015). They preserve cognitive flexibility, sustain empathy, and allow clinicians to return to their professional roles with renewed clarity. A hobby, therefore, is not an escape from medicine; it is an essential mechanism that makes the practice of medicine more sustainable.
4 Fruits of proactive passion in science - a historical perspective
History repeatedly demonstrates that passion-driven balance enhances, rather than detracts from, scientific excellence. Santiago Ramón y Cajal, widely regarded as the father of modern neuroscience, was an accomplished artist whose detailed drawings of neuronal architecture remain unparalleled. He frequently credited artistic training with sharpening his scientific observation. Albert Einstein turned to the violin whenever theoretical physics reached an impasse, famously remarking that music helped him think intuitively. Richard Feynman’s devotion to drumming and art was not peripheral to his physics; it was central to his creative reset and mental clarity. In contemporary medicine, many leaders quietly cultivate parallel passions—music, writing, long-distance running, painting, or trekking—that protect emotional stamina and enhance professional longevity. Within India as well, numerous oncologists and physicians sustain demanding careers while pursuing music, athletics, art, or community engagement as their passion. These pursuits are not indulgences; they are protective strategies for those engaged in emotionally intensive professions like our own.
5 A passion that extends beyond thy self
For me, music eventually evolved into a purpose larger than personal well-being. I founded the “HOPE Fund” ; a charitable effort to support patients young and old with curable cancers; but who were financially restrained. Through a collaborative effort with“Hope for Cancer Cure” a nonprofit organisation registered in California U.S.A, our family performs music-based fundraising programs that help patients in India receive timely cancer care at affordable costs. For me this journey reaffirmed a powerful truth: a passion cultivated for self-renewal can mature into service for others. When aligned with compassion, hobbies transcend personal restoration and become instruments of social healing.
6 A hobby is not a luxury ; it is a professional necessity
Oncology will always demand intensity, vigilance and emotional investment. Yet it should never be allowed to consume the entirety of one’s identity. A hobby is a quiet companion, a cognitive shield, and a reminder of humanity beyond disease metrics and treatment algorithms. For young doctors entering medicine today, cultivating a life outside the hospital is not optional; it is essential. A passion pursued with sincerity preserves resilience, deepens empathy, strengthens family bonds and sustains long-term excellence. In a profession where burnout threatens both the healer and the patient, passion beyond profession is not a distraction. It is survival and ultimately, wisdom.
Dr. Krishnakumar Rathnam
MD, DM, DNB , FRCP (Glasgow)
Senior Consultant and Head, Department of Medical Oncology ,
Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre , Madurai
