Nov 6, 2011

Doctors are actually Engineers!

Till recently, I used to think that Doctors and Engineers are two totally different species in the animal kingdom. But, of late, I realised that doctors are actually engineers, after all!

My knowledge about both these professions in my younger days was next to nothing. When I finished my 1st year engineering, I got admission in a medical college - delayed response due to some court case. Do you know how I decided whether to continue engineering or join the medical course ? I listed the positives and negatives of both the streams.

Engineering
 +ve : Only 3 more years to finish the course
-ve   :  There are no girls in the college

Medical
+ve : There will be girls in the classroom
-ve  : Another 5 and a half years to study!

Finally, I decided to continue engineering. See how 'deep' was my understanding and such an 'informed' decision I took!! Anyway, no regrets for that decision.

In 1995, when I came to Gudalur, got to know about the doctors, hospitals, medical profession from close quarters. Not only about just doctors, but about the various specialties and their roles etc. But, even then, I had not realised how much engineering they knew.

It was only when I had this cancer detected in my stomach/liver that I saw Dr.Nanda Kumar more as a Chemical Engineer than the usual surgeon. He talked more about the chemicals, the bio-chemistry inside the organs, which chemical causes the side-effects and the effect of the chemo drugs etc. Most of the clinical practice revolves around chemical composition of the body system, it looks.

Orthopaedicians, of course, are straightaway mechanical engineers. Neurologists are electrical engineers - nothing we can understand! Conversely, if you are good at all these 3 streams of engineering, then you can try your luck with medicines too!

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