Name: Dr. Harshil J. Shah (MedBound handle: @Harshil shah )
Academic Qualification: MBBS from GMERS Medical College, Gandhinagar, Gujrat, India (2013-2019)
MD psychiatry from B.J Medical College and Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, India (2020-2023)
Languages you speak or write: English, Gujarati and Hindi
What do you do?
I am a consultant psychiatrist (senior resident) at B.J Medical College and Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.
What’s the best part of your profession? What made you choose this profession?
The best part of my profession is knowing different people and their stories, and the satisfaction I get after they thank me and express their gratitude. I have always been inclined towards choosing mental health care as my profession. I feel mental health issues are something that many people face at some point in their lives but often don't talk about due to stigma. I intend to break this stigma and serve as many people as I can, urging them to seek help, as mental health is equally important as physical health.
Do you like reading? What was the last thing you read?
Yes, I love reading. The last book I read was "Feeling Good" by David Burns, which deals with therapy related to mental health.
What is your favorite dish?
Fruit salad
How would your friends describe you?
Friendly, kind, calm, and composed.
Who would you like to travel with?
Family, friends, alone, colleagues.
What is your least favorite subject?
Anatomy.
Your favourite subject(s)?
Psychiatry.
How would you explain what a cell is to your six-year-old nephew? A cell is like a tiny building block of our body. It's so small that we can't see it without a special tool. Just like we use Lego blocks to build things, our body uses cells to build itself and do all the things it needs to do.
Would you go camping or glamping?
A confided place with glamping.
Are you a leader or follower?
Somewhere in between
Best/memorable moment
Passing my NEET PG and MD exams after a long struggle. Treating and helping patients satisfactorily, and them thanking me for the same.
If you could be any animal, what would you choose and why?
Lion. As a lion is the strongest of all.
What do you hate the most?
Modelling and Business
If given a choice, what alternate career would you have opted for? New Zealand.
What is your dream travel destination?
Contact a nearest friend/relative and live for a while, meanwhile working and earning enough to buy a new place to live.
What would you do if you suddenly became homeless?
"The nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another's pain as one's own, and to act to take that pain away.
Finally, a Quote you relate to? "The nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another's pain as one's own and to act to take that pain away. There is nobility in compassion, beauty in empathy, and grace in forgiveness."
