A doctor's main mission is to serve the people in illness and in pain in the best way possible: they should be that powerful chain that makes society feel safe and sound. These are words of a 20-year-old Burhan Kantawala, an Indian student of Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, Faculty of General Medicine.
“As I grew up, my whole schooling was done at Our Own High School, AW, Dubai, UAE and from childhood I always aspired to become a doctor. It was my mother's dream to see me become a successful doctor one day. She along with my dad have been the two pillars of staunch support. I will always be indebted to my parents for the sacrifices they have done. I was always fond of the idea to serve the people/society, and I don't think there's any better service than a doctor's. Helping someone recover from an illness and seeing a smile put in a sick person's face really requires immense talent. From the very beginning, I knew where I was heading to. So I started working hard because in the end studies and knowledge is all that matters. But, from where I come from it’s not about that, but also extracurricular like Elocutions, Conferences, Competitions, Sports, Debates – all that is required for wholesome development”, Burhan tells.
The board he graduated from was CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education in India), and he, in his words, was the Middle East topper. “I started my search for universities from my 10th grade that is 3 years before I graduated from school. I made a list of all medical universities around the world and matched them with reviews and rankings. And, I came to know about YSMU in the same way. I saw that YSMU had a great international ranking, and the country deemed to be one of the safest countries of the world providing quality education in the medical field. My list initially included over 200 renowned institutions but it came down to YSMU in the end. And then I went ahead with the application, and I got selected”, Burhan says proudly.
He has deepest interests in cardiology and cardiosurgery, but he is also developing interests for neurology. Recently, Burhan adds, he has been trying to work with an organization COBRAIN, which focuses on research and neurodegenerative diseases.
“My education at YSMU has really been uptight, from getting positives in practical class assignments to scoring well in the semester exams. The competition is always high. I got almost all the opportunities I wanted: from the first year, the Armenian department has been very kind, and they have invited me to almost all the functions held inside and outside University. Once we even went out of Yerevan for a special function, and they have awarded me with medals and trophies. Here it is worth to specially mention Mrs. Nelly Yeghiazaryan who has been immensely kind and helpful. With her help, I was able to speak fluently in Armenian, and I came on Armenian Television for the first time for a special program on 1TV”, Burhan tells. Whenever there is any concern, he adds, at whatever time, international students feel really delighted to go to the dean office. “They welcome us and pay heed to every minute concern of ours and always give us the answers we require. I am personally close with our vice dean- Mrs. Mary Mkhitaryan. She was once my Operative Surgery teacher and really lightened up my interests in the field of Anatomy and OS. Our dean Mrs. Gayane Avstisyan has also always listened to my ideas and at numerous times guided me in the right direction”, Burhan emphasizes. He also mentions the YSMU Head of International students, Dr. Rahul Sethi who has been a constant source of wisdom and support for Burhan. “He has been a great mentor over my years of study and was the lead in our team “Ramn Oghakan Dzez” at “Humori liga”, Shant TV. Our University's career center headed by Dr. Khachatur Margaryan conducts FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduates Examination) classes for free for students interested to clear the screening exam of the Indian Government for foreign medical graduates. The classes are conducted weekly twice mostly by Dr. Rahul, and they really help you grasp complex concepts with cool mnemonics with tests conducted every week”, Burhan says.
Secondly, he continues, the University keeps hosting many programs like “Brain Awareness Week”, many conferences and seminars almost every month, which he participates in. Being a part of The Students’ Parliament and Students’ Scientific Society, I have had the opportunities to plan events and put forward ideas for new seminars. I am also working as a curator in the Operative Surgery club of YSMU, and every Saturday I'll be going to the OS department for learning new techniques or suturing, knots, surgical procedure and teach the same to my juniors. Recently I've joined the Research Club of YSMU headed by the members of Young Researchers Union, and right now we are working together on a research topic due to be posted in the future. I have participated in the Operative Surgery Olympiad for 2 years. I was even representing YSMU at “ShantTV” in “Humori Liga” where our team “Ramn Ognakan Dzez” was loved by the Armenian population. Every time we go on streets, people still remember watching us on TV and ask pictures with us”, Burhan remembers enthusiastically.
The Indian student is also a part of the Indian Students Council of YSMU under the SP and along with the other members has organized and taken part in events at the Red hall, Hostel and at the new University Futsal ground, too.
Burhan describes his life in Armenia as very safe and comfortable with the right amount of hustle a medical student should experience. “The country itself is beautiful, and people are very welcoming and helpful. During weekends and long holidays there are many amazing places to visit, and we visit those places, too. Transportation is affordable, and going around the city is as simple as it can be with trams, metro, buses and minibuses with reliable schedules inside the city”, he notes. Burhan has already been to Tsaghkadzor, Gyumri, Sevan, Garni, Geghard, Ashtarak and Dilijan, Khor Virap and Echmiadzin. He absolutely loves playing football and go cycling around the city whenever he is bored. “It refreshes me. Other than that, I play billiards and badminton too”, Burhan adds.
The medical profession in itself, according to him, is the noblest profession of all. “So, my advice to all the future doctors would be to maintain the nobility of the profession, and if a patient comes in need, please do not deny him treatment because of monetary issues”, Burhan calls. To all the medical students he would advise them to keep educating themselves and updating themselves, as in this profession things keep changing, and it's important to keep yourself updated with the latest procedures and researches. The future cardiologist calls to keep a schedule of time and use it wisely. “The most important thing for a doctor's successful career is the efficacy of his methods of treatment and behavior to patients. In addition, a doctor's main mission is to serve the people in illness and in pain in the best way possible. Doctors should be that powerful chain that makes society feel safe and sound”, Burhan Kantawala concludes.
Author: Tatevik Ghazaryan