I have been told that the key to being an excellent radiologist is never to forget that behind every single image, there is a unique individual who is almost certainly very anxious. They have loved ones and friends who are also worried. The image represents real people with fears and hopes and is often the key to an early and accurate diagnosis and in identifying appropriate treatment. I always approach my work with these words in mind and intend always to do so.
My success in my academic career has been achieved by having very highly developed analytical skills, a naturally curious mind, being an enthusiastic team player, and having a desire to work in an area where advances are rapid. It has always been my intention to ‘make a difference as well as merely to ‘make a living, and this desire led me to an interest in medical imaging, which has developed into a passion. I believe that my skills and characteristics will enable me to become an excellent radiologist and to assist in advance of this fascinating and vital area of science.
I am an enthusiastic team player by nature and know that this is a vital asset in my chosen field. A good team always provides a better outcome than any individual team member. While, like most people, I like my personal input to be acknowledged and valued, I am always ready to seek and to take advice and guidance and to give credit to other team members and the team as a whole. You may not know much about cricket, but it is a game in which it is possible for a player to ‘shine’ selfishly to the detriment of the team’s benefit. It is good training in subsuming selfish desires to the final outcome. Being the first born in a large Asian family has also provided excellent training in ‘pulling together’ as part of a team with common aims. I was expected to help in the raising of my younger siblings, and this gave me early and beneficial experience in taking responsibility and providing leadership. Helping my siblings with their schoolwork, gave me a love of teaching and sharing my knowledge, and I hope always to be able to help to develop skills and expertise in others which gives me enormous satisfaction.
I have been involved in several successful research projects and have very much enjoyed doing so. Research work has developed traits that are also vital in a successful radiologist: curiosity, patience, recognizing obscure patterns, and the possible connections between the apparently unconnected. I hope to continue research throughout my career. I am very excited at the potential of some current research being undertaken in medical imaging and studying recent developments carefully.
I was born in India to a family who had to face many financial challenges and lived there until the age of 12; when the family moved to Canada, I currently study in Qatar. I have happily studied, worked, and socialized with people from many social and cultural backgrounds. I am culturally sensitive, and I enjoy learning about other cultures and sharing knowledge about my own. I was selected by my university to provide orientation tours to new students, and I believe that this was because it was recognized that I have an easy-going personality and a well-developed sense of humor. I love my pastimes of cricket and cooking international dishes, both of which allow me to interact with others socially.
I am aware that you will be considering applications from many well-qualified candidates. However, I genuinely believe that I am an excellent candidate. I am a qualified biomedical engineer whose academic successes, awards and research work will provide reassurance as to my intelligence, diligence, and determination to succeed. I believe that I have demonstrated that I possess the personal characteristics required of an excellent, rather than a competent, radiologist. Most importantly, I am passionately interested in this field of work and in helping the individual patient by applying all my skills and knowledge to each and every one of them in full cooperation with those in other specialties.