Lokesh Prabakaran is a 5th course student of the Faculty of General Medicine at Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi.
22-year old Indian future orthopedic surgeon was not destined to be a doctor: his dream was to become a fighter pilot and guard his nation by sky.
Lokesh was born in Chengalpattu, a town in Tamilnadu (the southernmost part of Indian subcontinent). He describes himself as an optimistic person who never says no.
First time when he landed in Armenia, he was scared of people, their hyperactive behavior and hospitality, then after some days he liked it as he didn't see like this in any other country. “And soon Armenia became my second home. I was amazed by the old historical buildings, statues and pulpulak, its history and the legend of which inspired me a lot”, Lokesh tells.
He chose Armenia and YSMU for further education as the Armenian medical university was the most recommended. “YSMU has a history and experience of a century: it made so many great doctors of the world”, he assures.
According to Lokesh, the education system and the method of teaching at YSMU are outstanding. Inspiring doctors share their experiences.
Among the important features for a good doctor, a foreign student singles out self-sacrifice and willingness to serve people. “If you want to achieve something, you've to sacrifice something – my mom's words. For this profession so much of sacrifice and service minded people are necessary rather than money minded people”, – Lokesh adds.
He advises future doctors to exercise, study, eat, revise and sleep (7-8 hours). “Exercise daily, morning or evening, to get a good stretch for your muscles and bones. It increases your energy levels, and it will increase your memory and brain activity. Study not only the book, but also the online updated topics so that you'll be updated. Eat 5 times a day, 2 times the big meal, 3 times of quantitative meal and stay hydrated. It will keep you energized throughout your day and you'll be able to concentrate on your studies. Don't skip your breakfast. We can only treat our patients if we are healthy enough”, Lokesh emphasizes.
From his point of view, it’s important to revise the topics daily. “Make your revision time useful by making sketchy notes, graphs, mind maps, watching videos, understanding concepts. Try to attend scientific conferences and keep yourself updated”, Indian student adds.
Author: Tatevik Ghazaryan