Dr. Sameer Sekhar Patra: From AIIMS Graduate to Health Tech Innovator (Part-1)

Dr. Sameer Sekhar Patra: Hello everyone, I have completed my MBBS from AIIMS, . I am currently pursuing my Masters in Sports Medicine from the International Olympic Committee, and I also head own a startup. It's a health tech startup named HealU. So it's been one and a half years into this journey startup. We are a health and wellness aggregator company where getting all the health services under one platform is the ultimate goal. We are basically building India's first health and wellness online mall. So, my co-founder is from IIT Delhi. He's from a computer science background. So talking about my journey. So, after completing my MBBS in 2020, I was working for the railways as a COVID ICO (Infection Control Officer) in charge, where I realized that in India, we are losing out on lives because of comorbidities rather than diseases. So I thought that we should work more on the preventive model, which in medical terms, we say primordial and primary prevention. Then we started this startup where first we started with diet plans, where we'll focus what's the cause of obesity or any other diseases. For example, if a person gains weight, for some people, it's due to diabetes, for some, it is due to hypothyroid and for some, it's due to hypertension. For females, it could be because of PCOS. We then started focusing on curing those diseases which in turn will let you reduce weight. Then we provide other services like healthy food, then gym and fitness services and doctor consultation and skin and hair care, dental services, therapy which is a very neglected topic, especially tired to compile all these services. We'll be launching our app pretty soon. Soon we'll be also doing the first round of investment from an incubator company.

Dr. Sameer: After completing my MBBS in 2020, I planned to pursue orthopedic residency in the UK. I was preparing for my PLAB exams during the COVID-19 pandemic and managed to clear PLAB 1. However, due to COVID restrictions, I couldn't travel to Manchester for PLAB 2. My dream was to specialize in orthopedics and work with the International Olympic Committee. When I couldn't proceed with my plans for the UK due to the pandemic, I started my own company. Last year, I expressed my interest in a two-year course to the Olympic Committee and they put me on a waiting list. They asked for my CV, English course certification, and a letter of recommendation. I obtained a recommendation letter from my orthopedic faculty due to my lifelong involvement in sports, particularly badminton and cricket.

Dr. Sameer: I've always been inclined toward orthopedics, but I also wanted to pursue a surgical specialty that would allow me to have a work-life balance. I have a passion for sports and have been involved in cricket, badminton, table tennis, and swimming since I was a child. This led me to initially consider orthopedics as a specialization, especially in sports medicine under the International Olympic Committee. In 2019, I cleared the English exam and PLAB 1, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I was unable to take the PLAB 2 exams in Manchester. After a year and a half of waiting, I decided to focus on my startup, which unexpectedly took off in 2021. However, my interest in sports medicine persisted, and when the committee opened applications for a sports medicine course last year, I applied. Despite not having a postgraduate degree, I was placed on the waiting list, but after submitting my CV, undergoing an interview, and providing strong academic credentials from my college days, including publications and letters of recommendation from AIIMS faculties, I was accepted into the course in October. This is a two-year PG diploma course with six months of online study and six months of practical training in the UK. Following my recent return from Scotland, where I attended a conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, I am excited about the prospect of working as a doctor for the Olympics or with professional sports teams in the future. While the concept of MD in Sports Medicine exists in a few Indian colleges, I have doubts about its recognition by international sports bodies. Therefore, I believe the course I am pursuing is the best fit for my aspirations in sports medicine, and I consider myself fortunate to have been selected.

Dr. Sameer: No, it's not. It's medical. They see the MBBS course. So there's a difference between a sports physiotherapist and a sports medicine doctor. So for example, I'll give an example if you see there's some injury on the field. So someone who reaches to the player on the field, he's a physiotherapist patient and he will help you with the first aid. But then when the player comes out of the field, he goes to the hospital. There he's taken care of by a sports medicine doctor along with an orthopedician. Okay, so generally what happens, is sports medicine, if I say you in simple terms, it's the medical way of treatment of orthopedics. Orthopedics is the last resort. We have like we'll do surgery or something, but sports medicine is above physiotherapy and below surgery. Okay, so there we have conditions like after giving treatment for some time, there's an RTP concept, return to play concept. So that is what's the work of a sports medicine physician? Like, for example, in other branches, we have a cardiologist and a CTVA surgeon. In Gastro, we have a gastroenterologist and a gastroenterosurgeon. So sports medicine is evolving in India, but in European countries where, like in the country of UK, you have nearly 150 football clubs who have those who play for the Champions League. Here, in India, we are more focused on cricket. Gradually, we are evolving in other sports. That's where this branch will evolve in the coming years. That's why people don't know much about it. But what went in my favor was when I was studying names, I got to expose a lot of things there. I met with a surgeon at an international conference who did his orthopedics, but he was a full-time sports medicine surgeon. Even my program director is the medical head of the International Olympic Committee. Dr. Ron Morgan is also a very renowned sports medicine doctor who is working for the Olympic Committee. So this course is given by the Medical Committee of the International Olympic Committee.

Dr. Sameer: Yeah, they give a preference. It's all about preference. Like in our batch, I have all my colleagues, those who have done orthopedics PG or have done trauma PG or they have done PG in medicine. So, it's all about preferences.

Dr. Sameer: Exactly. That's why I was kept on a waiting list. That's why in the introductory session I had a query about getting into that course without an MD or MS degree was difficult. But my director said they selected me because they wanted someone who could do their full sports medicine into core sports medicine. Or else what usually happens is people do orthopedics, then they get a fellowship in sports medicine, then they are back to surgeons. But the committee was for the physician as a job, right? So people don't do so this year what they have done they have selected freshers. 10% of the graduates or the students are freshers. Those have only done MBBS and I think from India we are four to five people in the batch.

Dr. Sameer: There is also MD Sports Medicine. I think Safdarjung in Delhi provides a course in MD Sports Medicine and there are two to three private colleges. I think AFMC also gives a sports medicine course but there are hardly three or four colleges because like I said I am just not sure if that degree can practice in other international committees or not like for FIFA or the ICC or other country's Olympic Committee. I have teachers taking classes from us, from Italy, from Germany, and the Netherlands.

Dr. Sameer: Yeah, because I wanted to focus on my startup and they are very accommodative. I can do my classes from here. I don't have to go every time to my institute. I can go for three, or four weeks. So that flexibility I get while doing this course. Whereas in Indian PG that flexibility is not there. You have to go to your college, you have to attend classes regularly. So, that is the difference.

Dr. Sameer: Once I receive my degree, I will be pursuing the first round of seed funding for my startup soon. Our mission is to provide healthy food and offer nutrition advice. Additionally, I am a member of the Odisha Football Club and my long-term goal is to establish sports medicine institutes in India. The current degree will be beneficial for achieving my goals as I plan to integrate sports medicine services into my own company rather than working for another institute. To gain experience, I am looking to pursue internships, including opportunities with the Indian cricket team or other international football clubs. During my school days, I was a big fan of Barcelona. While I don't currently follow football as much, I still have these plans in mind.