‘I want to work with patients who need medical health care services the most’

Utsav Batra is an Apeejay Pitampura alumnus (batch of 2020). He is currently pursuing his second year of MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi.  

In a wide ranging interview, Utsav shares some of his best memories from school years, gives life lessons to current medical students at the school and urges them to respect their teachers at all times. Edited excerpts:

What inspired you to become a doctor?

The first inspiration is my father since he is also a homeopathic doctor. I saw him treating patients, learning about the medicines and that inspired me to join this noble profession. Later when I explored the subjects in medicine, I found that my interest also lies here. So, I decided to pursue this field of work.

How did Apeejay School, Pitampura, help you to embark on the medical journey?

The credit goes to my Science teachers at school. They instilled in me an avid interest towards this subject. As and when any help was required the teachers were always there to clear my doubts. When a student’s doubts are constantly cleared, one develops an avid interest in the subject. So, the teachers played a big role, not only in an academic manner but also in the manner of ensuring discipline and the overall personality development which is essential to become a good doctor. 

The teachers were very particular about discipline, regularity and persistence with studies. I would like to thank my science teacher Bhupesh ma’am, who taught me from class 5 till class 12. She was also my house in charge and therefore I had a lot of interaction with her. Also, I would like to thank Mrs. Malini, my biology teacher in class 11 and 12 and Mrs. Anuradha Batra chemistry teacher in class 11 and 12.

Please tell our readers some of your best memories from school life?

It was a very proud moment for me when I received the Dr. Stya Paul Award for Human Values in class 8, back in 2015. I had not expected that I would get the award. So, it was a pleasant surprise when I received it. I remember, I went to the stage and the Principal, Dr. Bedi, gave me the prize. It was a very big moment for me. Also, I loved eating lunch with my friends during the lunch break. Actually, my friends joined the engineering stream in class 11 and thus our sections changed. We were not allowed to go to another class for lunch. Still I would go and enjoy it with my friends in their class. 

I would also like to tell all the students that you must respect your teachers. They are the ones who will guide you in every way possible, in ways you can’t even think of. They do scold sometimes for small things  and can get very particular at times but we as students are not able to immediately understand how all this improves our personality so much.

Which field of medicine do you intend to pursue?

I am yet to decide on that but I am interested in cardiology. I also like orthopaedics.

What life lessons would you like to  give to a medical student at Apeejay School, Pitampura?

Discipline and persistence are a must. Medicine has a vast syllabus in the undergraduate and the post-graduate level as well. One therefore needs to be persistent and regular. One can’t just open the books one week or month ahead of the exams and score well. Discipline is a must. This will only come when one has an interest in the subject. Thus, I would suggest to everyone that please don’t choose a medical stream under pressure from someone. Only opt for it if you are genuinely interested in the same. It is a very good profession but demands a very high quality of study hours.

What is the best thing about becoming a doctor?

I think it is the fact that you have the capability of improving someone’s life and health.

What are your future targets?

First, I want to become a good doctor and acquire a good post-graduate seat in a prestigious medical college. Then I want to work for society. I want to work in the government sector so that I have maximum interaction with the patients who need medical health care services the most.