The career journey of a physician-scientist

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Looking back, I never had to ‘decide’ on a career in medicine. Ever since I remember, the profession has been an integral part of my life. And I owe that to my physician-mother, educated at a time when far fewer women in India were attending medical college.

My childhood memories are vivid, with countless hours spent at her clinic – first as a toddler, playing with her stethoscope, and later as a young adult, completing study assignments.

我在医学院的几年对我的成就充满热情，我很高兴从那个早期的学术阶段获得最大的里程。I completed my degree with distinguished honors, served as student representative, led civic awareness discussions, and conducted vaccination drives.

After graduating medical college, I started a one-year internship at a bustling government hospital. A mandatory component of this internship was to serve at a rural health center. I was posted to the city outskirts, in a small town, most famous for being a place of pilgrimage. For a few months, my everyday travel involved a taxing commute; starting with a local bus, followed by a six-seaterrickshaw(popular Indian cabin vehicle), and finally a hike up a small hill to the health center.

当时，我不得不完成这项服务要求，而是更喜欢利用我的时间来学习极具竞争力的住院医师入学测试。事后看来，我希望我能够享受医疗实践的独立性，而不是将目光投向下一个大目标。

我在医学院的几年对我的成就充满热情，我很高兴从那个早期的学术阶段获得最大的里程。

However, the time I spent studying for the specialty entrance exam did pay dividends, and a residency in clinical microbiology followed. For the next three years, I worked at a premier healthcare institute serving the defense forces.

在诊断实验室中，我探讨了医学微生物学的广度，从霍乱爆发到真菌脑膜炎，甚至是最稀有的寄生虫侵扰。我还进行了一个研究项目，该项目是最重要的大规模研究之一，该研究表征了循环的印度水痘菌株（鸡肉痘病毒）。该研究始于住院患者的临床样本，并最终使用基因组方法来键入病毒菌株。

从床边过渡到长凳

为了增强我的研究专业知识，我接触了当地大学的基础科学实验室。来自博士学位在那里的学生，我学习了实验方案，基因序列的分析和统计工具。我非常喜欢研究的兴奋和挑战，这塑造了我成为医师科学家并攻读博士学位的愿望。

Moving to the United States with my husband, I found that securing a Ph.D. position in that particular geographic location posed a challenge. Immigration, global recession, and funding constraints were major obstacles.

了解我的烦恼，我的丈夫鼓励我在研究实验室担任志愿者职位。这个为期一年的工作被证明是无价的。它扩大了我的技能，为美国的学术系统提供了见解，并在进入博士学位计划中发挥了关键作用，尽管处于不同的状态。

最后,经过近九年的医学教育ion, I embarked on a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and microbiology. Undoubtedly the most challenging phase of my academic career, my PhD research focused on antibiotic resistance in microbial populations, using a multidisciplinary, integrative approach.

从了解基于物理学的分析模型到学习动物感染模型的细微差别，研究生院五年经常将我带到我的舒适区域之外的地方。我喜欢新想法，充满活力的讨论和知识领域的穿越，这些思想构成了整个研究生院的经验。

博士学位和育儿

成为研究生院的母亲是具有挑战性的，但充实。我经常说我没有获得一个孩子的博士学位，而是我成功了“因为”生了孩子。

作为父母，给了我处理学术研究压力的观点和耐心。计划恐龙生日派对和装饰情人节贺卡使我在替补席上度过了新的一天。我认为女性不需要划分才能成为成功的专业人士和母亲。相反，我试图协调自己的角色。我经常在烹饪时计划实验，并在等待细菌细胞旋转时制作杂货清单。

到来的圆圈：印度的桥梁和床边

My long-term goal is to pioneer a combined MD-PhD program in clinical microbiology in India. Currently, India does not have dual MD-PhD programs. I envision a joint program, that bridges the bedside and bench, providing cutting-edge training in the diagnosis and management of infections, development of novel diagnostic assays, and basic understanding of microbial processes.

This program would forge a new generation of physician-scientists in India; equipped to address the challenges of infectious diseases through advances in medicine, innovation, and discovery. It has been an incredible professional journey so far, and I look forward to ‘re-inoculating’ my education and expertise into the system I started from. This physician-scientists’ journey has only just begun.