University 
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University

Current Year 
Fifth

Medical Specialty Interested in 
Obstetrics and Gynecology / Psychiatry

Most Inspiring Person 
My little lovely family

Single Quality that defines a great Doctor 
Caring and Kind

First of all, walk us through the step-by-step processes that you went through to get to where you are today?

I did my A-levels in Addu High School. I would consider myself an average student, but I worked hard in A-levels. Your A-level grades matter a lot in where you can go and what you can do in University. That kept me going, and I did okay. 

Since I was considering a career in medical field, I worked as a Clinical Assistant in Hithadhoo Regional Hospital for a few months. I was hanging out in Obstetrics and Gynecology department most of the day, which equal parts fascinated and scared me. 

I didn't want to go to Medical school without exploring other options; so I then did a little stint in Kangaroo Kids International School, where I was a kindergarten teacher. It was fun, I had paint and glue on my hands and a big smile on my face, but I missed science. I missed reading big books to find answers to questions that perplexed me. 

So I applied to medical school. I spent a year in Dalian Medical University, in China. Met some lovely people, ate exotic food, and learnt how to be an adult. But it wasn't for me, so I was looking for other options.

Soon after a year, I got selected for a scholarship to to KDU with my best friend. It's warmer here, closer to home and people I love. So of course I booked a ticket and left straight away. And here I am. 

When did you first realize you wanted to study medicine?

When I was little I used to play doctor with my little sister. She’d be the patient and fake a faint. I’d get her on my little tricycle (ambulance), take her to the hospital and give her a miracle injection which would cure her. So I guess it was always on my mind. But as I was growing up I changed my mind a lot. I wanted to be a Disney princess once, a flight attendant, a scientist, an artist, a photographer, an interior designer, a wedding planner, join the peace corps, study literature and write a book. Etc etc. 

Back when I was a teenager with self-esteem issues, I never thought I’d be smart enough to make the grades to get into Medical school. I considered it to be ‘way out of my league’. But somebody told me to aim for the stars and maybe you’ll reach the moon. So every time the chemistry grind got harder, I stopped and told myself that I WILL INDEED get the grades to be a doctor. 

And I eventually did. I abandoned my childhood dreams of becoming an artist when I realized my paintings just generated sympathetic looks from friends and family. Yes I was doing a lot of personality quizzes which promised to point me in the direction of a perfect career for me. I was talking to a lot of doctors, nurses, and teachers. I decided to work a little in every field, since I wasn't sure at eighteen what I wanted to become for the rest of my life. At the end of the day, all I wanted was just to live a meaningful happy life. And I took a leap of faith and applied to Medical school.

Take us through a typical study day.

I'm in my 5th year now; currently doing my Surgery Rotation. I wake up at around 6 am when my roommate knocks on my door. I shower, and we have a little breakfast of Toast, Peanut Butter and tea in silence (because nobody wants to talk that early in the morning).

We hurry up and leave, catch a bus and arrive just in time for ward rounds. We present a short history of our patient to the senior doctor and discuss his management. During ward rounds seniors will grill the student with rapid-fire questions (usually about obscure medical minutiae). These much-feared public interrogation sessions can be really intense but it's effective, because now you will never forget about that one time you were asked about the boundaries of Triangle of Calot. 

After ward-rounds, we usually have a class where we present a full case history to the consultant and we all discuss the management and treatment of the patient. 

I’ll be honest; I usually skip class. I have an attention span of a goldfish so I’d rather not sit at a lecture hall and scrawl notes I’d never look back at again. So I go home, take a shower to wash the hospital germs away and have lunch. Afterwards, I take a little nap and study, make notes, watch lecture videos all the while trying not to get distracted. 

Since we are doing surgery, we have to go back to hospital in the evening for ‘casualty’. To clerk any new admissions and observe and study from acute presentations and emergencies. We observe cool procedures and get to help if lucky. Its nice to watch doctors do amazing things and handle ‘situations’. We get home by 11 or 10:30 pm, and have a quick dinner, while excitedly sharing stories about each others day. And then I go to bed. Safe to say that I'm so so exhausted I have no trouble whatsoever with sleeping. 

How do you handle your unproductive days?

On my unproductive days I waste too much time on YouTube, serial watching, clip after clip of people talking about makeup or some celebrity scandal or whatever. I know that it's a bad habit which causes brain cells to die prematurely, but oh well. 

I try to do something that makes me feel a little better on days like that. Since I love baking, I might bake a cake, or spend rest of the day reading poetry on my Kindle and just call it a day. 

If you are having an unproductive day, sometimes I find it best if I accept it early on. Accept that today is just ‘one-of-those-days’. I'm not going to beat myself up over one day. Maybe sometimes its a break you NEED. I’ll make a ‘to-do’ list for the next day and go to sleep. And do better tomorrow. 

What does success look like for you?

True Happiness. I believe in the notion that purpose of life is to strive for happiness. To feel satisfied with myself and my accomplishments while also striving for self-improvement. Financial security and a career I don't dread going to everyday. Looking back when I'm 80 and see a life well lived. To be able to give back to the people who made me who I am. Give back to the world; it doesn't have to be anything big. Just good vibes and be a good person. 

Name your favorite medical text book.

Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple Book by Mark Gladwin.

Share a problem you faced in medical school and how you solved it.

We travel a lot here. From home to Hospital to University and back home. Some days as much as 4 hours is spent just on the commute. It's a lot of time to spend just sitting around doing nothing. We often catch the overcrowded public bus. I have really bad motion sickness. I’d get bad nausea and have a terrible day. But overtime I found little ways to deal with it. I downloaded a fun, upbeat playlist and try to tune out the hustle and bustle of Colombo life. And subscribed to audible and listen to an audio-book or something. I try to always travel with a buddy. So I start my day on a more positive note rather than be in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started medical school?

That our annual leave is SEVEN DAYS ONLY. 

Also that Doctors are not gods-like creatures. You don't wake up and start ‘saving lives’. Doctors are regular humans who are dedicated to their craft but suffer from insecurities. They make mistakes, some patients never get better and some patients pass away. Doctors succumb to stress and a lot have relationship problems. Doctors don't always know it all. They are sleepy and moody a lot of the time and have no time for crap. Fun fact: Suicide rates among doctors are higher than the general population. 

Also some popular TV shows were very misleading. There is no 'McDreamy'. There's no time for romantic drama and all that stuff. You’re lucky if you can have your meal at lunch hour.. Even bathroom breaks are a privilege sometimes. There are no handsome surgeons running, wheeling patients in. It’s not that exciting. 95% of the time, physicians are treating routine issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. There is nothing "glorious". Just be prepared for the fact that you will be treating common colds and ankle sprains a good chunk of the time.

What do you think needs to change in the health industry of the Maldives today?

I love the work midwives do here in Sri Lanka. I believe it caused a dramatic decline in their infant mortality rates. 

Every population of 1000 is allocated a Medical Officer of health (MOH). He is supported by a team of public health personnel comprising of Public Health Nursing Sisters, Public Health Inspectors, and Public Health Midwives (PHMs). 

The Public Health Midwife (PHM) works in the “front line”. Providing care to mothers and children within the community. Through home visiting, she provides care to pregnant women, newborns, infants and preschool children, and offers family planning services within her area. She provides education and advice on health and health related activities and necessary counseling and refers patients to higher centers for further medical assessment. She also distributes contraceptives (orals and condoms) and regularly follows-up contraceptive users within her area. The Public Health Midwife (PHM) also motivates women above 35 years to attend the area’s ‘Woman Clinic’ and thereafter follows them in the field to ensure that the instructions are carried out by the individual clients. 

This system had been well developed and effective in delivering preventive and promotive maternal and child health services to the population and had been highly spoken of as a model for other developing countries.

Finally, what is the one tip/advice you want to give to our readers?

It's going to be a lot of work. It required more dedication than I originally expected. Medical school is hard but I didn't know what type of hard it would be. I'm not a good test taker. I don't have good study skills for long hours of studying. It's not that's it's overly hard material, but the amount you need to master, synthesize and the recall are unlike anything. With poor studying skills, it's been a LOT harder and you can get knocked down real fast. 

Life will go on outside of the classroom, from relationships to friendships. You'll have less free time for it, so accept that. You will have to put everything you have into Medical school. That means missing birthday parties, dinner with friends and family and going out with friends. Be selfish with your time because you worked hard to get here. But when you're off, be off and really enjoy yourself. 

You need understanding/supportive people in your life. You either have an amazing relationship with someone who is going to support you and loves you, or your relationship will catch fire and get in the way of your schooling. 

This sounds so gloom and doom but I really do like it. I think it's amazing, actually. When I feel myself understand material I spent hours reading and it just clicks, or just think about how the body works or I'm in clinic and things are finally making sense with my patients, I love it. Med school is great as long as it's your job and not your life. You do cool stuff, meet cool people, and occasionally people accidentally call you 'doctor'.

The My Medical Student Life series was created for the sole purpose of helping medical students and aspiring doctors on their journey to become a successful Maldivian Healthcare Professional. Have a suggestion, idea or question? Email us.

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