Arusha Shekher, a 4th course student of the Faculty of General Medicine of YSMU, is sure: no matter where she goes and where life takes her, she will be tethered to Yerevan for the rest of her life, carrying in her hand the diploma of MD from YSMU and in her heart – the fond memories and experiences she has gathered over the years.
22-year-old Indian future doctor was born in Bihar, but was raised and did her schooling in New Delhi and Haryana.
“I used to run track in my school days, having won several competitions. Other than that, I had a passion for dancing and theater which reinvigorated when I participated in “Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav” in YSMU – celebration of 75 years of Independence of India. I also love to read books, especially the kind that transport the reader into a different world and provide a sort of escapism”, she says.
Arusha’s grandfather was a physician, and it was always his dream that someone from the family should carry his legacy forward. “Though I wasn’t exposed to what he was doing during his day-to-day work, I became immediately impressed by the stories I used to hear about him and how he loved helping people. Somewhere down the road his love for medicine became my love for medicine, and his dream became my dream. I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, and as hard as it gets, I wouldn’t change a thing about where I am and what I’m doing”, she emphasizes. Arusha loves and enjoys herself while learning about the mysteries of the human body and what makes people tick, and it further cements how she feels about medicine being her calling.
The Indian student made the decision to study at YSMU together with her father. “My father got his hands on the brochure of YSMU through a stroke of luck, and he was interested first while I was a bit hesitant. We had a meeting with Dr. Daljeet Chauhan upon which I came to know more about the university and what studying in it would entail. After talking to him, both my father and I had made up our minds that YSMU would be a great place to further my education and pursue my dream of becoming a doctor”, Arusha tells. According to her, the medical university is both a prestigious and renowned university with a history of producing quality doctors for the past 100 years. “Moreover, YSMU foreign medical graduates have been highly successful in India often finding internship spots in some of the top hospitals in Delhi”, she adds.
The teachers at YSMU, in her opinion, are knowledgeable and dedicated. “One thing that has stood out to me since day one of attending the university is how our teachers and the dean would refer to us as “Dear future colleagues”- instilling in us a sense of self-respect and making us feel welcome in the profession. They are extremely helpful and guide us in the best way possible by identifying our skills and challenge us to think out of the box to adapt to the uncertainty that comes with the field of medicine. The system in general works to build character of its students alongside building skilled future doctors”, Arusha assures.
Armenia, according to her, is a beautiful country and one of the world’s oldest civilizations. “Aspects of everyday life are expressed in embellishments, carvings and design. Yerevan, in particular, has come to feel homely and winsome as this was my first time living away from home and my parents, but somehow past the initial period of adjusting, I’ve never felt alone or alien, just walking around the parks of Yerevan instills in me a sense of peace. I feel like Yerevan is like a long-lost sister because strolling through the streets of Yerevan I find myself discovering different aspects of myself. I’ve traveled to a few places outside of Yerevan too, and I love the way citizens of this country are fascinated by foreigners especially if they find that we’ve embraced learning the culture and the language even if we may struggle at times, a little effort goes a long way”, Arusha says. The people in Armenia, she adds, are warm-hearted and friendly.
In her opinion, being a good doctor isn’t all about getting good grades, because at the end of the day what matters is how you are implementing everything you’ve learned all these years and worked so hard for. “The key element to becoming a good doctor is to be a good listener, to have patience and show empathy, to make patients feel cared for. To establish a successful career, doctors should be collaborative and show resilience. Being a doctor is a path where you are going to commit mistakes a lot of times, and be humble enough to learn from each of them”, Arusha emphasizes. She continues that there will always be great successes and significant challenges and struggles along the way. “But you need to keep fighting for your goal, and I’m sure it will all be worth it when you see gratitude in the eyes of your patients”, Arusha concludes.
Author: Tatevik Ghazaryan