An Ode to Greatness

Just when I was losing my interest in human kind with all of the dead weight around me I came across this incredible   person .. .. a Tour de Force .. an endocrinologist par excellence… And in my eyes a burst of energy, a magician .

She has infectious positive energy , a tendency to include and make a family of people who work with her .

 An active defiance of negative forces of all nature

 "Frustration must not enter my doors “ being her motto.  

 A glow of enthusiasm and youth emanates from her being at the age of 68 that translates to everyone coming in contact with her ..

 A reservoir of creative energy .... her intelligence and superior knowledge of the subject enhanced by her enthusiasm to continue learning .

 An empathetic listener ..Her disarming smile for each patient .. with the special cooing for the kids .. putting everyone from an infant to an old person at ease and invoking a feeling of care .. her command over different languages adding a personal touch… her emphatic usage of words to make things crystal clear in a very complicated situation , medical or otherwise.

Or putting an end to confusion by asking ” So What is the question to us?

Her ability to make every case seem like a medical mystery … just with her expressions and her tone of voice .. never underestimating or bored or dismissive even after 30 years of Endocrinology of all shapes sizes and flavours.. she is magnificient on stage .. she makes u enthralled and uplifted with her passion for the subject and evokes a feeling of gratitude at being part of this wonderful discovery of the finer nuances of the subject

And the incredible part is she talks in the same impressive manner dramatising and magnifying certain issues that beg to be dramatised for the greater good .. presenting a case becomes a romantic journey in itself with her giving almost undue attention to each detail piecing them all together with her keen eye and attention .. and simplified and summarises beautifully so we can all work on the quandry at hand.

 Her tone swinging .. sighs and oohs to accentuate the mood .. and yes ! we have the diagnosis. Its almost like a eureka moment each time

Only she can make that happen !

 

She could take a class on good communication skills .. or the art of public speaking .. but then that would be too small a role for her .. she’s made for much bigger things .. because being glorious just comes naturally to her .. without effort ..

 

There is just so much so learn from the way the department functions and she has built this .. to build a system and a department at par with the greatest western institutes … with such limited resources ! yet their greatest resources being the human minds they nurture and develop and value beyond all other things.. 

 

Taking great pride in herself and her team  … no false humility .. her face beams with the light of their accomplishments ,.. but never bordering on conceit .. conceit is for the lesser mortals isn’t it .. and her pride extending to each person around they know they are now the authority and the world looks at them for answers .. They accept and honour that graciously ,,,and know they have to deliver .. This country and the world has their eyes on them … So that it becomes a driving force for them rather than making them complacent.

 

She makes it a point to take her students opinions in every decision she takes .. allowing them to overrule her and accepting it all graciously .. giving a great feeling of value to her students.   

 

The crazy pet names and anecdotes for her colleagues . Her ability to make every person a valued individual with a definite role in her world ..

Invoking a feeling of a big happy family at the workplace. Her absence even for a day brings down energy levels substantially.

Extreme and biased affection and protection for her students making me almost long for a glimpse of her motherly nature . Of course the mother turns strict and vehement if sees laziness or recklessness .. and that adds a layer of discipline and her students know she will not tolerate mediocrity.

 Needless to say, she has been a connoisseur of endocrine care in our country…  her obsession and love for the subject has been a great boon for our country .. she shows that resource limitation can be overcome if one is creative .. it’s not fair to blame our inefficiency on resource limitations always

She has been instrumental in wonderful collaborations of endocrine enthusiasts across the world , a meeting of brilliant minds to create something worthwhile, and creating a legacy that continues even after her retirement.   

 I remember fondly the constant light heartedness and humour that is shared ..sometimes the amusement is so much the patients have to be pacified before hand it is not directed towards them .. eating lunch together every single day… going on picnics filled with laughter … watching her students get drunk and wild and joining them in their mischiefs… sharing in their joys and their agonies… attending students’ marriages and the births of their children…

The heart-breaking welfares to their students in which each person in turn gives a good bye speech at a round table, a  very emotional and intimate ceremony where students and faculty alike share tears and hugs..

In the  1 year I spent there, I have been a part of so many beautiful ceremonies as part of the KEM family, I feel humbled and infinitely grateful .

That they gave me the same sort of welfare even though I wasn’t really a part of their DM program, and invited my son and husband over to the department(who again is a KEM loyalist and a great admirer of NSS maam having known her influence since his MBBS years) again was extremely touching and meant the world to me ! 

In my heart, KEM will always be my alma- mater, notwithstanding the shirt time I spent there... in that short time, I learnt all of lifes lessons...how to be a good doctor and a good human being and where I learnt the value of human relationships in the work-place -- that they are just as important as they are at home. 

After all, its only the heart that decides where one feels at home ! 

 A beacon of light when I needed it most ..Poetry in motion.. I am truly  enthralled to even share breathing space with this  living legend...