Pain is a terrible feeling dreaded by both adults and children, myself included.

I vividly remember a few times with my grandmother when I discovered the excruciating pains she felt while walking or chewing solid foods; her life epitomized that of an individual wholly defeated by chronic and relentless pain. Watching her endure discomfort exceedingly crushed my heart that I wished for a way to provide some temporary or permanent relief. Her irascibilities and our endless visits to the specialists proved abortive, for it was in the 1990’s and India’s health system was at its infantile stage.

Pain management represents a specialty which perfectly aligns with my personality and life dreams, for I am intrigued by the relationship between the cerebral requirements of internal medicine and procedural skill of surgery. Among all the rotations in residency programs, I am particularly interested in pain medicine. In addition, performing different procedures which have instantaneous effects on patients’ relief and stability provides me with great joy.

My time at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, USA in July 2017 granted me an opportunity to familiarize with the workings of a pain management clinic. I observed the use of latest equipment in the operating room, got accustomed with the U.S. medical trends, and learned of nerve blocks used to relieve chronic pain. The impact of easing pain in patients impressed me so much that I considered enrolling for a pain management fellowship.

My life goal is to make meaningful contributions toward invigorating the field of anaesthesiology and impacting on people’s productivity and quality of life through effective pain eliminating procedures. Besides acquiring a broad-based clinical knowledge and having an undying passion for basic sciences such as neurophysiology, pharmacology and neuroanatomy, it is inspiring to know that I would be present in a patient’s life starting from an IV in pre-operative unit to their stable transfer en route to post-anaesthesia care unit. I aspire to devote 100% effort to active patient care, especially at the critical points of my patients’ lives.

I am eager to pursue pain fellowship for an opportunity to display specialized skills by handling a wide range of medical procedures and facing cognitive challenges as well. I hold a Ph D. in the Anaesthesia, Surgical ICU & Pain Management and have handled a wide range of cases in neurosurgery, obstetrics, urology, orthopaedics, gynaecology and general surgeries, as well as acquired confidence through responsible and effective handling of various cases independently. I am most fascinated by the mix of internal medicine and anaesthesia skills required to function efficiently in pain management for critically-ill patients. I consider these aspects of modern intensive therapy both challenging and intriguing to have spurred my desire for a fellowship program where I look forward to updating my clinical and research skills through rigorous processes.

The bountiful experience gained with surgical teams during my Anaesthesiology residency program at Henry Ford Health System broadened my horizons in the field and had a great impact on my interpersonal relationship and communication skills, as well as boosted my confidence as a team player. As a research associate with strong base in medical knowledge, I desire a chance to refine my procedural skills through an ideal pain management platform where I can improve and excel as an efficient, caring and competent anaesthesiologist.

My experience with managing difficult tasks on a patient’s recurring pain proves there are several clinical and psychological issues which require a multidisciplinary approach for lasting solutions. Therefore, embarking on this exciting journey with your esteemed and enviable fraternity of physicians will be a lifelong experience, one which will enable me to collaborate, sensitize and inspire my compatriots to collectively tackle the health challenges faced by a developing countries like India and across the globe.

I look forward to practising chronic pain management after this fellowship program while waggling between practical anaesthesiology and perioperative medicine to help others live a pain-free life.