YSMU Indian student Shreya Nandini Bose had been dreaming of becoming a doctor since she was 5 years old, and her parents supported and encouraged her.
23-year-old Shreya is a student from the Faculty of General Medicine, currently in the 4th course. She was born in Rourkela, a state in Odisha in India.
“As a kid, I was always fascinated by doctors and stethoscopes. Once it so happened that I had been to the doctor with my parents to get my vaccination done. I was about 5 years old. I hated going to the clinic because I was scared of syringes. But I would also agree after the doctor promised to give me a candy or a lollipop. I still do that”, Shreya jokes. Anyway, she continues, that day, after getting her vaccine, she picked up the doctor’s stethoscope and came out until when her mother finally noticed her. “My mother ran inside and handed over the stethoscope, apologizing to the doctor on behalf of me. But the doctor smiled and told her that I’d make a great doctor of myself, someday. Since that day, I had this passion of becoming a good doctor, and my mother had this dream of seeing me in the Doctor’s White Coat”, – Shreya tells, adding that her mother has been her pillar of strength.
Shreya is also a professional Bharatnatyam (a form of Indian Classical Dance) dancer.
She does have a lot of hobbies like charcoal painting, doodling, calligraphy and singing.
A lot of people in her contacts, who were pursuing MBBS in Yerevan, recommended YSMU. “And my parents thought it would be the best educational institution for my bright future”, Shreya notes.
Armenia, according to her, is a very beautiful country. “It is the earliest Christian civilization and, by far, the cleanest place that I’ve been to. I’ve been to places like Sevan, Garni, Tsaghkadzor and Khor Virap. Sevan is definitely my favorite place to be”, – Shreya says.
In her opinion, the people in Armenia are really very friendly and helpful.
Currently she is a member of the Indo- Armenian Friendship NGO and Indian Cultural Center in Armenia. “It feels great to have Armenian friends. Also, I stay in the Zeytun hostel, and all the staff here really loves me like a kid. I’m glad to have them in my life. They make me feel at home”, Shreya adds.
The education system in YSMU, she emphasizes, is amazing. “The dean for the foreign students is really the kindest person, she never hesitates to help. The lecturers are ready to help us even for the hundredth time if we ask for help. Be it any hour of the day, the teachers are there for us, and they struggle along with us. They put up with all our tantrums and enjoy our company. They identify our skills and never put us down if we fail to do things. They know how to deal with teenagers and growing adults”, – Shreya tells. She has found a friend in most of her lecturers.
The future doctor tells also about choosing a narrow specialization. She has seen a lot of women struggling and suffering while giving birth or due to various problems in the rural areas of India. “I have a dream of helping the poor people with whatever I have. So I want to be a Gynecologist and help women all around the world. I want women to be educated through me about the wide range of issues including Obstetrics or pregnancy and childbirth, menstruation and fertility issues, STD’s, hormone disorders and others”, Shreya hopes.
Being a doctor, according to her, is not an easy task. “We invest a lot of years, hard work, patience and money into this, to become what we desire. I don’t want to be a good doctor who treats the disease; I want to be a great doctor who treats the patient with the disease.
We struggle between losing hopes and winning lives”, – Shreya thinks, adding that to be a doctor means you’re no more self centered. “You’re dedicated to humanity, and the main aim of your life is to save lives”, she assures.
“Yes gitem mi kich hayeren. But I’m trying my best to learn this language properly, just like English”, Shreya says.
The future doctor concludes the conversation with her mother’s words: “I would just like to say what my mother always says to me: “Never give up, when it is the only dream you see.
Do your best, and the Almighty is always there to help you in your struggle. It’s your struggle! Fight it!”
Author: Tatevik Ghazaryan