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INTERVIEW WITH DR.BHAWNA SIROHI
1 What brings joy to your life?
Small things bring joy to my life. Being able to do what I love doing brings me a lot of joy, being able to come to work every day to a place which I love working in, seeing a smile on a patient’s face, spending time with my family, friends, going on holidays, watching a film, reading a good book, travelling to a new place, eating a new dish etc.
2 What is your hobby, go to food and favourite movie?
Reading, watching cinema, theatre, staying active, travelling, watching sport (tennis, F1, cricket, football). I love photography and playing tennis as well, but I don't have time for it. My go-to food is South Indian food- especially puttu, neer dosa, Idli, Uttapa, dosa, etc. My favourite movies are Invictus, Top Gun, 3 idiots, Dangal, Mughal-e-Azam, Guide, Anand, Sholay, Sound of Music, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and many more
3 What would be one thing you would change if you could go back in time?
I don’t think I would change anything if I could go back in time, maybe as I’ve had quite a beautiful journey to get to where I am. Maybe I would have my father still with me, as he passed away when he was quite young.
4 What was the turning moment in your career as a doctor?
The turning point was when I entered Tata Memorial Hospital and started my journey to become a cancer specialist.To see the patients go through their treatment with so much resilience and bravery was quite inspiring and moving for me. Doctors have to be patients' best advocate if we need to give the best to our patients. This was also my first introduction to financial toxicity, which affects our patients in India. To this date, I am trying to make sure that every single patient gets the treatment that they deserve
5 Why did you choose a career in Oncology?
I chose a career in oncology quite early on in my teens when I read a book, “Fever” by Robin Cook. The way the protagonist fights for his daughter, Michelle, is something that I wanted to do for my patients, and I am still doing that to this day. This decision made me realise that to become a cancer specialist, I have to become a doctor first. I went from city to city with my dad after 12th to do various entrance exams and entered GMC Nagpur in 1986, followed by LLRM Medical College, Meerut. I then followed my heart to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and then to Royal Marsden in London, which shaped me to becoming who I am today. Being an oncologist has also made me realise that the patients put a lot of trust in us when they choose us, and it is a privilege to look after them
6 What are the key considerations when choosing between working in a private or government healthcare setup?
I have never actually looked at what setup I am working in, as long as I am able to see patients and do the best that I can every single day for every patient that I get to see. I have worked both in a universal health coverage setting in the UK, in private and government centres in India. I have also helped set up cancer centres for private and government setups, and there is not much difference -the care, quality, excellence, empathy, and compassion that we need to bring to our jobs is exactly the same. The volume of patients is definitely higher in a government setup, but that does not mean that we should compromise on delivering the care. Currently, I’m working in a not-for-profit organisation- very similar in volumes to a government set up, and we aim to deliver the best we can for all patients we see. Choose a setup that will make you happy and fit in with your life goals.
7 How do you cope with mental fatigue from constant clinical and academic demands?
I think it is very important that we not only look after our physical health, but also our mental health, especially with constant demands from clinical, administrative, and academic workload. A happy doctor means a happy patient! I practice yoga every day for an hour - my teacher comes home every morning quite early, so I have no excuse! Whenever I can, I try and spend a lot of time with my family on a Sunday to either watch a movie, read a book, or go walking. I also take regular holidays at least 2 to 3 times a year with my family, and that is spent either in the mountains or near the beach, so that when I come back, I am fully charged to give my 100% to my patients, colleagues, and my hospital. It is also important to learn to compartmentalize between seeing patients, administration work, family, and friends so one is able to live in the present!
8 How do you stay updated and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the rapid pace of oncology research?
Staying updated is critical if we want to do the best for our patients. The pace of oncology research is quite fast, and it is tough to stay updated. I have deliberately chosen to do only GI and breast cancer, so my field to stay updated is narrowed down. I am an avid reader, so there are a few journals I try and read regularly every week, on planes, cars, etc., on a regular basis. I learn a lot from Twitter, and I follow people who teach me and inspire me. I love teaching and giving lectures, and as part of my preparation to deliver the lecture, I read up hundreds of articles relating to that and listen to videos also that my peers have made sometimes on the subject. I try and attend national and international meetings, not only to network but also to stay up-to-date.
9 How can oncologists navigate the medicolegal framework to protect themselves?
To navigate the medicolegal framework, one needs to have professional indemnity insurance, and it is also important that our communication skills are good. I strongly feel that every oncologist must go on a communication skills course, which should include breaking bad news, how to have end-of-life decision-making, how to communicate prognosis, how to navigate the precision oncology space, genetic counselling, how to handhold a patient through their cancer journey, etc. This was mandatory as a consultant when I was in the United Kingdom, and I feel that most of the issues that result in medico-legal issues are related to a communication breakdown between the doctor and the patient or caregiver
10 What’s your approach to second opinions when they contradict your own recommendations?
I think second opinions are extremely important for a cancer patient, especially with newer evidence coming up every single day. As oncologists, we may have differing opinions, but as long as one can back up with evidence and not just on anecdotal data, there should not be an issue. It is a patient's right to take as many opinions as they want.It is possible that the second opinion may contradict one’s own recommendation, and there should be no issue with this. I usually respect my colleague’s opinion and sometimes agree to disagree. A cancer patient should start on their cancer treatment journey only when they have full confidence in the treatment plan and the oncologist who is treating them, as I feel this is a long-term relationship that is long and one needs to choose the oncologist and the hospital after careful consideration and stick to that.
11 One financial advice you would give to resident doctors?
Don’t follow the money, let the money follow you, which it will if you serve the patient, the society, and your country with transparency and accountability
12 One career advice you would give to resident doctors?
Be passionate about whatever speciality you pursue. Kindness, politeness, integrity, discipline, and some form of community connect will hold you in good standing always