Name: Dr. Ritwik Dey
Birth Place: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Academic Qualification: MBBS from JIPMER, Pondicherry (Batch of 2012),
MD General Medicine from JIPMER, Pondicherry, India (Batch of July 2019)
Languages you speak/write: Bengali, English, Hindi, Tamil
What do you do?
I am a physician currently based in Kolkata and still sorting out my life and career.
What’s the best part of your profession? What made you choose this profession?
I guess the best part of my profession is interacting with patients and listening to their stories, and sometimes trying to lessen their sufferings. At the point of time in life when I decided to become a doctor, I was a mere teenager and was transforming from an age when we wanted to become astronauts and go to the moon or become a private detective like Sherlock Holmes and solve murders, into an age when we were forced to make more real-life decisions. Traditional fields like engineering, law, arts, and commerce could not woo my teenage imagination, but I was rather more drawn toward the enigma of the human body. Both my parents being doctors also played its subconscious part, having a stethoscope as a toy to play with since childhood. Hence at the end of my 12th class in school, I jumped into the medical field without any second thought, and till this time I don't repent of that decision. In this way, I still get to have the feeling of Sherlock Holmes while I practice Medicine and still get the euphoria from diagnosing and treating a difficult case, as a detective may get from solving an enigmatic murder. As to why I chose Internal Medicine as a branch for post-graduation, I have a whole answer for that in Quora with my reasoning and logic, which you may go through if you wish.
https://qr.ae/prM9oc
Do you like reading? What was the last thing you read?
I absolutely love reading !! Obviously the extra-curricular ones (pun intended since you never stop reading and taking exams in Medicine). Currently, I am reading "The unbearable lightness of being" by Milan Kundera and I am moved by what I read so far. I cannot help but over-recommend this book!!
What is your favorite dish?
Italian pizza (while I was in Pondicherry) and Biryani (especially in Kolkata).
How would your friend describe you?
Introverted, fun-loving, reasonably acceptable photographer and one with a travel bug.
Who would you like to travel with?
Solo trip
What is your least favourite subject?
Anatomy, because I absolutely hate to draw (and surprisingly it's a scientific subject which places so much emphasis on drawing to judge its students rather than their scientific capability).
What is your favourite subject?
Medicine, any day!
What’s something you wish to change about the world?
Wishing to change something about the world is very ambitious in my opinion, but I can definitely hope to change something more doable, like - giving more importance to one's health and diet; or putting an end to the inhuman hours of work during the residency in India.
If your journey was a movie, what would it be called?
Being Humane
What are you passionate about?
Photography, writing, traveling
Best/memorable moment?
I cannot think of a single moment now, but UG life was very memorable, especially the internship and the rural postings; we were carefree, frivolous, and enjoyed and traveled a lot.
What do you love to do in your leisure time?
Reading novels, photography, traveling, or sometimes writing.
What do you hate the most?
Nothing worth mentioning.
If given a choice, what alternate career would you have opted for?
Engineering since I have always loved physics and mathematics.
What is your dream travel destination?
Lake Baikal in Russia
Where would you like to work in the future?
Keeping my fingers crossed, don't want to mention it here.
Finally, a Quote you relate to.
Arise awake and stop not until the goal is reached - Swami Vivekananda
(Medsight/PS)