Welcome to another session of DocScopy. We present the inspiring story of Dr. Pankaj Agarwal through the conversation with Tanya Singh, Swati Mishra, and Himani Negi from MedBound Times.
Dr. Pankaj Agarwal is not just a doctor but a teacher who has changed the lives of thousands of medical students by introducing Medical Concepts in Hindi. His mission is to make medical concepts clear and easy for those students who are facing some problems in understanding the subject due to linguistic issues. Let's deep dive into Dr. Pankaj Agarwal's journey of helping out medical students who struggle because of the language barrier.
Tanya: What are you currently doing?
आप वर्तमान (Currently) में क्या कर रहे हैं।
Dr. Pankaj: I am a practicing Endocrinologist for the last 24 years and for the last 6 years, I am working towards bringing our modern medical science in easy-to-understand the Hindi language.
Tanya: Tell us something about your life, professional journey, and your areas of interest.
हमें अपने जीवन, पेशेवर यात्रा और अपनी रुचि के क्षेत्रों के बारे में कुछ बताएं।
I did my graduation and post-graduation from Baba Raghav Das Medical College (BRD), Gorakhpur. It mainly caters to nearby rural population and gave me exposure to real India. It helped in developing my sentiments toward my society. I did my super-specialization in Endocrinology from Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM) Medical College, Meerut, and post-DM residency from Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPG IMS), Lucknow. It helped me learn state-of-the-art methodology in my field. In 1999, I started my Hormone Care and Research Center in Ghaziabad and since then I am working in it.
My area of interest at present is focused on Medical Concepts in Hindi (MCH) only but prior to that I enjoyed multiple fields like clinical research wherein I was involved in global clinical studies. Even earlier, my focus was on conducting clinical training programs for general physicians and specialists towards skill enhancement in managing diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and disorders of the thyroid. If I peep into my college days, my areas of interest were music and cultural activities. Music runs in my family and all my daughters have received formal training in Indian classical singing and music.
Tanya: How did this idea of starting MCH come into your mind? What was the inspiration behind this?
एमसीएच शुरू करने का यह विचार आपके दिमाग में कैसे आया? इसके पीछे क्या प्रेरणा थी?
It was not a sudden plan. It is something that I have been thinking about since my college days. In 11th standard, my school was changed. My primary education was in a Hindi medium school and I transferred to an English medium school after my 10th grade. My English wasn't that good at the time. Whenever my teacher asked a question, I used to think of the answer in Hindi first, and then convert the answer into English in my mind. After framing the answer in English, I raised my hand to give the answer. In response to my answer, the entire class began laughing. I asked them why they were laughing. I was told that the answer I had given was already answered by someone else. Ma'am had asked that question 5 minutes ago. The next question had already been asked by Ma'am. Over a period of three to six months, I practiced sentence framing from Hindi to English in my mind.
While in clinical practice, I was always inclined toward conducting training programs for physicians. I observed that while discussing the topic in English, participants used to attend it in an inactive mode and it largely used to be Monologue. But when I started discussing the same programs in our day-to-day language, these passive listeners rapidly turned to become active participants. It strengthened my belief that to reap sweet fruits, education, and training should be in our mother tongue, instead of being in the formal English language. It compelled me to initiate this concept in a mission mode.
Tanya: Have you ever felt an inferiority complex during your journey when you switched from Hindi to English medium or in your journey till now?
हिन्दी से अंग्रेजी माध्यम में आने के सफर में या अब तक के सफर में क्या आपने कभी हीन भावना महसूस की है?
Dr. Pankaj: Nothing as such happened because instead of getting demotivated I took it as a challenge to grow further and improve in my life.
ऐसा कुछ नहीं हुआ क्योंकि मैंने निराश होने के बजाय इसे आगे बढ़ने और अपने जीवन में सुधार करने के लिए एक चुनौती के रूप में लिया।
Tanya: Similarly, if medical education is started in every regional language, then what are your views on it?
इसी तरह अगर हर क्षेत्रीय भाषा में चिकित्सा शिक्षा प्राप्त करने लागे, तो इस पर आपके क्या विचार है?
Dr. Pankaj: Of course, what’s harm in that. If some determined scholars take it passionately, it will definitely help in developing many more well trained doctors in our country. Again, the majority of MBBS students will spend a lot of their time working on the ground level with people from different regions and backgrounds.
I am not saying to convert the entire syllabus into the regional language. Rather, it should be a parallel/ supplementary to help at least those students who are facing some problem in understanding the subject due to linguistic issues.
While doing so, one aspect should never be forgotten. Terminologies should be used as it is in the formal English language. Because our purpose is to make students understand the concepts of medicine clearly but not to make it more complex (क्योंकि हमारा उद्देश्य छात्रों को चिकित्सा की अवधारणाओं को स्पष्ट रूप से समझाना है न कि इसे और अधिक जटिल बनाना है।)
For eg we can take arteries and veins as such rather than using terms like धमनियों and शिराओं which would make it more difficult and complex.
हम कह सकते हैं कि रक्त/blood arteries और veins में बहता है।
Tanya: Any event that you feel could have been done better (something that left you disappointed or less satisfied)
कोई ऐसी घटना जो आपको लगता है कि बेहतर तरीके से की जा सकती थी (ऐसा कुछ जिससे आप निराश हुए या कम संतुष्ट हुए)?
Dr. Pankaj: Physicians do not experience such instances, however, surgeons do. Yes, but I feel bad sometimes when my patient does not follow our medical advice properly, or take his or her medications properly. For this, I often feel that probably I should have been more active and energetic in convincing my patient to abide by our medical advice. Maybe I could have explained better.
And there is nothing like satisfaction or dissatisfaction. I got whatever I asked from God. He gave me everything, even those things, which I could have never even dreamt of.
Because if I remember the initial/struggling days of my career. You are seeing what I am today. But it was not the same in the initial days of my career. I recall that initially, during the first 20 days of the month, tallying money for expenses like bills and rent. It was the last 10 days of the month when I could think about saving a part of that.
I even became the director of Fortis Hospital but later realized that it was not for me. I am thankful to them for giving me this opportunity but even more thankful to the almighty that he gave me the courage to come out of that glamorous world.
I am very grateful to god for this beautiful journey where I have learned a lot and still learning.
Dr. Pankaj Agarwal, MBBS, MD, DM (Endocrinology)
Tanya: Why did you choose this career path/how did you get here?
आपने यह कार्यक्षेत्र क्यों चुना/आप यहां तक कैसे आए?
Dr. Pankaj: When I entered college, there were many students that came from the Hindi medium. They cleared the entrance and get into medical college but now the entire course was completely in English. They were brilliant minds but were not able to understand the curriculum in the first instance. The practice that I have done in my school converting the sentence into English from Hindi. They started that practice when they entered medical college. Till the time they start understanding English, a semester was already over. And you know how much a medical student lost in one semester in medical school that is difficult to compensate for as they don’t have the subject clarity.
Due to the practice that I have done in school. I did well in my 1st year and even become a topper in 2nd year. I was appreciated for my speaking. Maybe I speak well that’s why I got the recognition. (शायद मैं अच्छा बताता हूं इसलिए मुझे ये सम्मान मिला।)
It’s not that no one has worked in this. A lot of people have worked before me in converting MBBS books into Hindi. But I was recognized maybe because of the internet. And the other aspect was the books that were written in Hindi were completely transcribed into the Hindi language. I didn’t want my book as a showpiece in the library somewhere. Because my purpose is to make the concepts easy for the students to understand rather than making them more complex.
Tanya: What are your expectations from MCH? (एमसीएच से जुड़ी आपकी क्या उम्मीदें/लक्ष्य हैं?)
Dr. Pankaj: More than 300+ people have contributed to MCH. There are around 30,000 users in MCH but the number of active users is less. I hope that someday, students who don’t have any linguistic problems would also prefer to read books in Hindi for the simple reason of being written in an even more comprehendible and easier language.
Tanya: Your recent accomplishment in MCH
एमसीएच में आपकी हाल की उपलब्धि/सर्वश्रेष्ठ क्षण
Dr. Pankaj: I would say when Yogi Aditynath launched my books for MBBS students. Simultaneously, I started undergraduate classes in Hindi as well. Meerut Medical College became the first college in UP where medical education in Hindi was started. I am really hoping that one day I will get support from PM Modi too for my work.
Now let's have some fun/normal questions apart from MCH.
(अब एमसीएच के अलावा कुछ मजेदार/सामान्य प्रश्न भी करते हैं)
Tanya: What would you be doing if you weren't a doctor?
(यदि आप डॉक्टर नहीं होते तो आप क्या कर रहे होते?)
Dr. Pankaj: You have put me in a really difficult position. I don't know. I can't actually think of anything right now. (आपने तो बड़ी मुश्किल में डाल दिया है। मैं अभी कुछ ऐसे सोच नहीं पा रहा हूं।)
Tanya: May I guess?
Dr. Pankaj: Yes, Please!
Tanya: Teacher
Dr. Pankaj: This would be an honor to me. You have said such a great thing. Yes, I would have been a teacher. (यह मेरा सम्मान है। आपने इतनी बड़ी बात कही है। हाँ, मैं एक शिक्षक होता।) My interest in teaching would have attracted me to it.
Tanya: What do you think when you see yourself in your past?
(जब आप अपने आप को अपने अतीत में देखते हैं तो आप क्या सोचते हैं?)
Dr. Pankaj: Since every day we improve, I look forward to the future instead of looking back. Otherwise, you may feel guilty. So, let go of the past and focus on the present and continuous improvement.
Tanya: Whom would you remember for being a great support to your mission? and What has been the best or most memorable moment of your life so far?
(आपकी जिंदगी का सबसे अच्छा या यादगार पल अब तक कौन सा रहा है?)
Dr. Pankaj: My wife ( मेरी पत्नी). Every moment I spend with my wife is a memorable moment. Every day I wake up at 5'o clock and then sit with my laptop till 9'o clock working on MCH. My wife supports me in my every decision. She helps me so that I can work dedicatedly on MCH.I would like to say in the end that my mother gave me the inspiration but my wife gave me the support to fulfill this dream. (मैं अंत में यही कहना चाहूंगा कि मेरी मां ने मुझे प्रेरणा दी लेकिन इस सपने को पूरा करने में मेरी पत्नी ने मेरा साथ दिया।)
Tanya: What is your goal for the upcoming coming 2-3 years? (आने वाले 2-3 वर्षों के लिए आपका लक्ष्य क्या है?)
Dr. Pankaj: Helping more students getting benefitted from this platform as the platform is completely free for students. And most importantly launching, the physiology, anatomy, and biochemistry books for at least 1st year MBBS students in Hinglish as that is the initial point of starting their career.
Tanya: If you had a choice of eating only one thing for an entire year, what would it be? (यदि आपके पास पूरे वर्ष के लिए केवल एक ही चीज़ खाने का विकल्प होता, तो वह क्या होता?)
Dr. Pankaj: Khichdi (खिचड़ी), because it is easy to cook. Just put rice, lentil, water, and a few spices. It also takes less time. My children never asked me to have my favorite food as they know I will make them have khichdi.
Tanya: Finally, a message you would like to convey to the budding medical students or society? ( अंत में, एक संदेश जो आप नवोदित मेडिकल छात्रों या समाज को देना चाहेंगे?)
Dr. Pankaj: Whatever you do, give your best. While you are studying, become a good student. Clear your concepts very well. Because if you are not a good student, how will you become a good doctor? When you are practicing, be a good clinician. (आप जो भी करें, अपना सर्वश्रेष्ठ दें। यदि आप एक विद्यार्थी हैं तो एक अच्छे विद्यार्थी बनें। अपने कॉन्सेप्ट्स को अच्छे से क्लियर करें। क्योंकि अगर आप एक अच्छे छात्र नहीं हैं, तो आप एक अच्छे डॉक्टर कैसे बनेंगे?
MedBound Times is glad to interact with Dr. Pankaj Agarwal and wishes him a lot of success in his initiative.
