Medicine requires love and dedication. This is the opinion of Hrayr Attarian, Professor of Neurology, Medical Director at the Center for Sleep Disorders at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Visiting Professor at the Lebanese American University, and Visiting Professor at the Yerevan State Medical University. We talked to the Professor about the advantages and challenges of being a doctor, as well as the field of medicine in Armenia.
– Professor, let us start with your decision to become a doctor. How did it happen? Was that your dream?
I did not go to university to become a doctor. I wanted to do something in science. When I was studying Chemistry and Biology during my undergraduate years (1984-1988), Lebanon was still in a state of Civil War. I wanted to combine my interest in science with my desire to help people. So I started taking premed classes. I applied to both a PhD in Public Health and Medical School and got accepted to both. However, I chose to go to medical school.
– What kind of challenges can you mention in the profession of a doctor?
The challenges in being a physician are first in the path to get there. It requires very hard work, and the process is long. In the American medical education system it is 8 years after finishing high school or secondary school, and in the European system it is 7 years. Then you have residency and further training which can last from 3 to 7 additional years.
Second set of challenges is inherent in being a Doctor. It is not a job or a profession, it is a lifestyle. You are a physician 24/7. It is not a career where you can come home and forget the office until the next day.
– What privileges do you enjoy being a doctor?
Privileges are many. Job satisfaction is very high. It is a great feeling to make someone feel better or save a life. Very few careers offer that privilege. Financially it offers security that a lot of other professions don't. And it comes with a certain degree of social standing and respect that is universal, and I have encountered this in every country I have lived in or visited.
– Please, tell a little bit about your career ladder.
As I mentioned, I started studying sciences at the American University of Beirut and graduated with a B.S. in biology in 1988. My tuition and costs were paid for by a generous scholarship from Gulbenkian Foundation. Then I was accepted to the same university's medical school. This time I received another generous scholarship from Hariri foundation (established by late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri). After I graduated with a MD in 1992, I was accepted to do residency in the USA. I came to the State University of New York in Syracuse NY and finished a neurology residency in 1996. Then I went to University of Rochester to do additional training in epilepsy care and neurophysiology. In 1998 I went to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis where I did my training in Sleep Medicine.
In 1999 I started my career as an assistant professor of neurology at Washington University in St Louis. I decided to stay in academic medicine and not go to private practice. In 2003 I was offered a position at University of Vermont to build them a sleep center. Since it was near where my wife's family is and only 90 minutes by car from my own cousins in Canada, I took the job. I was an assistant professor of neurology and internal medicine for 4 years then was promoted to associate professor. I built a large, comprehensive and multidisciplinary sleep center. After 6 years I yearned to live in a large city again, so I moved to Chicago. First, I spent a year at Loyola University in Chicago suburbs and then transferred to Northwestern University downtown Chicago where I have been for 11 years. I am in charge of the sleep center here and am also a Visiting Professor at the Lebanese American University. My research is primarily in global sleep health.
– Do you manage to relax? What are your hobbies?
I enjoy photography and am a serious street photographer. I also love reading non-medical books, listening to music and writing about it.
– What about your family?
I do not have children. My wife just recently recovered from a serious long-standing illness and is now looking for a job, as well as volunteer opportunities with charities. We have 2 cats and 3 parrots all rescued from shelters. They demand as much attention as children.
– How would you describe the sphere of medicine in Armenia?
Armenia has many brilliant and dedicated physicians and health care providers. I am impressed at the level of clinical skills present there. I think it needs a better healthcare infrastructure, a system that can support all these talented and devoted doctors.
– What do you miss from your homeland?
Well, my homeland is Lebanon. Armenia is my ancestral land. I have only been to Armenia once. It was a wonderful experience. From Lebanon I miss the food, the coffee and the Mediterranean Sea.
– Are you planning to visit Armenia in the future?
Yes, I am planning on visiting Armenia with my wife in 2022 if COVID permits. I am looking forward to it.
– As an experienced doctor with a rich professional path, what advice would you give to your future colleagues?
My advice is that those interested in medicine should not go into it because it is an easy and financially rewarding career. It is not. You need to go into medicine because you love medicine and want to dedicate your life to it. It is a calling and requires long hours and hard work. If the person's interest is only financial, then there are other ways to become financially well off faster and sooner. Also, I advise not going into medicine to satisfy parental expectations. As important as the above, one should choose a specialty they enjoy, not a specialty that is socially expected of them. When in medicine one should keep that calling or sense of mission in their mind.
Author: Tatevik Ghazaryan