Every year, around this time, my anxiety tends to peak. And yet, almost instinctively, I turn to writing something hopeful on social media. So here I am, doing just that again.
Yesterday was National Doctors’ Day… and apparently, also National Chartered Accountants Day. This post might wander a bit, but at its heart, it’s about four incredible individuals, three who are close, and who’ve played personal roles in my life, and one I admire from afar. All of them were in my thoughts yesterday.
This year’s theme for National Doctors’ Day was “Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?”… a reminder that doctors, with all their service and compassion, pay a personal price to care for others, right?!
The Mentors who healed me…
Let me start with two of the most impactful and beautiful people in my journey, Dr Aruna Rajendran, my primary mentor, and Dr Sasidaran, her husband and my co-mentor, both based in Chennai. They are not just respected professionals in their fields, but also two of the kindest, most compassionate doctors and human beings I’ve ever known.
What makes them exceptional isn’t just their brilliance in medicine. It’s the way they extend their service and mentorship beyond the confines of their specialty, to allied health professionals like me. They invest in people. They generously share their knowledge and nurture those around them. That’s the kind of doctors they are… healers in the truest sense.
It’s been nine months since I left the BMT unit, yet not a single day has gone by without thinking about them..without their words echoing in my mind. That’s the kind of impact they’ve had, both personally and professionally.
Reflecting on this year’s theme, “Who Heals the Healers?”… Last night I had sent a small token of love to Dr Aruna and Dr Sasidaran…a tradition I do with the people I hold dear. That anxious, overwhelmed, but happy face in the picture? That is me.
I know Dr Aruna has been working late. But I didn’t realize that long into the night. But later that night, I realized she hadn’t even reached home yet even by 11 in the night. She was still seeing patients late into the night… working, serving, healing. Then returning home to tend to her two young boys and her loving family, who would’ve gone to bed already at that hour. It hit me hard. Though I was happy doing my little “tradition,” I was also saddened by how much she juggles. I know she loves what she does, but still… Who heals the healers, right?!
And Dr Sasidaran, he initially came across as the “strict professor,” someone I found intimidating. But over time, I saw the warmth behind the formality. I wish I had more time to learn from him. He is a bundle of knowledge yet so humble. Even now, whenever I visit Chennai, I still budge them both. I probably always will.
Just a day before Doctors’ Day, I joined a farewell (virtually) for one of my closest friends.. a brilliant, upcoming clinical researcher from the BMT unit. During the farewell, Dr Aruna said…“It’s the allied healthcare workers who keep the unit alive, making it lively now and then.” Maybe I’m deviating, but that’s what this year’s theme…Who heals the healers? is about right? Sometimes, it’s the small things… a bit of lightness, a smile, someone who helps take the edge off a heavy day. That’s what they might need sometimes…for the ones who are always giving!!
Last night, I did feel guilty, wondering if I disturbed her peace, especially on her special day. But by the end of it, I reminded myself…I celebrated her. From miles away. And I’ll keep celebrating her. Both of them. Always.
They deserve that and so much more.
The Father of Palliative Care… my Guiding Light from afar!
Next, I want to talk about someone I admire from afar… Dr M R Rajagopalan…the Father of Palliative Care in India… the very field I am now passionately pursuing. The moment you meet him, all your skepticism about healthcare begins to dissolve. That’s who he is, a living, breathing embodiment of compassion. He doesn’t just practice care; he lives it. And he shares it with the world.
There was a time I kept applying for roles at Pallium India, not because I was desperate for a job, but because I just wanted to be near that kind of energy. I wanted to learn from the foundation he laid and absorb the principles he has spent a lifetime advocating for. Whenever I found out he was speaking at a conference and I had the chance, I’d make it a point to attend, and also walk up and say a quick hi and click a picture with him. And when I once shared that I hoped to join Pallium India, he actually followed up personally and supported me until he could. I mean… who does that? Someone with his stature, carrying the kind of responsibility… and still taking time for a job follow-up?! That’s who he is. Always giving, always kind. Every minute of every day, he continues to serve the cause of compassionate care. And that, in itself, is a lesson I’ll carry with me always.
Thank you, Sir, for continuing to inspire me. Your book “Walk with the Weary” still lives within me, and I often pass on its wisdom to others. You’ve sown the seeds of compassionate care…and they continue to bloom in countless lives.
If only I had crossed paths with these mentors earlier…maybe, just maybe, I would’ve even considered studying medicine (despite my dislike for biology haha). I truly love what I am doing today, and a big part of that is shaped by the inspiration I find in doctors and people like them… who remind me what true care and compassion look like.
Not a CA yet - you deserve to be celebrated too!
Now shifting from doctors to someone closer to home… my partner in all things, my soon-to-be life partner. He’s a Senior Audit Analyst who flew all the way to Delhi to spend time with me. While he’s not a Chartered Accountant yet, I’m celebrating him this CA Day too.
No, I didn’t wish him formally (‘cos I didn’t know until he mentioned last night). But here’s my acknowledgment…the work he does, the depth of his knowledge… it’s genuinely impressive. And to all the aspiring CAs out there who haven’t cracked the final exam yet, you deserve to be celebrated too. Your dedication is no less valuable. He specializes in US auditing but remains humble enough to help with anything from simple budgeting to complex finances. I am genuinely proud of him. I still remember a day when he helped me and my friend who visited from the BMT unit ( the upcoming clinical researcher I mentioned earlier) complete a proposal budget in no time, and with no expectations.
Thank you for being an exceptional Audit Analyst. And more importantly, thank you for being an exceptional human being.
And then, there’s ME!
Yes, my anxiety is peaking… just like it does every year around this time. But I’m also dreaming bigger than ever. Maybe that’s why my posts often come out raw and real, because life isn’t always a bed of roses.
Six months into the year, and honestly? I’ve only read 2.5 books. I’ve played badminton maybe five or six times. Gone on a run or walk around 50 days.
But I’ve also:
- Cooked consistently for the past month
- Managed my work and personal responsibilities
- Excelled at work
- Built deeper connections with my team
- Enrolled in a new course
- Played peacemaker in the family (which counts, right?)
And when I say I’m doing well at work, I mean it, especially in terms of leadership as I’ve mentioned on my last LinkedIn post. In Delhi, I’ve had the opportunity to meet powerful leaders, especially women. But the very first woman in power who inspired me? That will always be Dr Aruna, the same mentor I’ve spoken about initially on this post. I’ve learned many subtle, powerful lessons in leadership just by observing her. By listening to her. And looking back now, maybe those lessons quietly prepared me for the leadership role I stepped into here… even at a time when I didn’t feel ready. Turns out, I was more prepared than I thought… thanks to her.
I’ve always thrived at the grassroots, a people person. But these encounters, these mentors, and these experiences have stirred something deeper. It’s made me want more.
I still remember my first day at the BMT unit. Dr Aruna barely knew me, but as we waited at the Dean’s office, she said…“You shouldn’t leave before two years, okay? At most five. But in five years, you should be in a higher administrative position at the WHO or UN, making policy-level changes. At the time, I didn’t see myself as a leader.
Even recently, when another opportunity came up within CanKids, she told me…“There’s no single path for you, Prathipa. Take every chance. Learn everything.”
It’s not always a bed of roses, and that’s okay. Maybe I’ll cry. Maybe I’ll feel overwhelmed. But I will rise.
I will grow into the woman who belongs at the table, who holds space in the hierarchy, who leads with kindness, and who lives a simple life enjoying clear skies and rainy days.
Because I know now...I can get there.
So yes… six months gone. I’m anxious. I’m overwhelmed. But I’m also inspired. And I’m aiming high.
Thanks to the people I’ve mentioned above, the ones who keep me grounded, the one who I will always celebrate…the ones who remind me to celebrate myself too…
Since months might have gone, but don’t feel lost.
Because in the end, it’s the little things… The big-hearted people… And the purpose that keeps us going and rooted.
One day at a time. One year at a time.
Here we come, next six months….with passion, love, hope and kindness :)))