“I would like to see every individual in this world have access to basic health facilities”: Dr Tejas Singh

By Nidhi Kumari

Dr Tejas Singh is an inspiration being a junior doctor who has been awarded a quarter-million-dollar research grant from Queensland Health to study Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) that kills approximately 200,000 people worldwide each year. Indus Age spoke to the prodigy who completed his HSC in 2010 with distinction from Cherrybrook Tech High, Cherrybrook NSW and stands today as a proud junior doctor in Townsville Hospital Queensland Health. The young doctor spoke about his research work, his motivation, making health facilities accessible to all and more. Read on:

First many congratulations on making both the Indo-Aussie community proud. Explain to us what your research work to study Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms is all about?

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms refers to the widening and weakening of the main abdominal artery. These aneurysms can often rupture and lead to death. The disease affects 20 million individuals worldwide.In current clinical practice, the progression of disease and the risk of aneurysm rupture is estimated by measuring the diameter of the diseased artery.We use this measurement to help decide when to perform surgery, however some small aneurysms will rupture before they reach the current threshold for repair and some large aneurysms remain stable without repair. This suggests that measuring diameter alone is an imperfect tool for deciding which patients require surgery. Our research will be investigating the prognostic utility of measuring the peak wall stress of aneurysms on CT scans using biomechanics. This analysis may help us find weak areas in the artery wall that are more prone to rupture. This approach could therefore provide amore effective means to determine which patients require surgery to avoid ruptured aneurysms.

How will your research work be beneficial to mankind?

The findings from this research may provide a more accurate measure to quantify rupture risk in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms in comparison to current methods. This may help clinicians better prioritise patients for surgery and avoid unnecessary surgery in those with stable aneurysms. Collectively this may result in improved clinical outcomes for patients with the disease.  This research may also support the use of peak wall stress in future clinical trials to evaluate novel medical treatments for aortic aneurysms. At present, there is no established medical treatment for patients with aortic aneurysms. An effective medical treatment may improve health-related quality of life, reduce costs associated with surgery, and prevent mortality in patients unsuitable for surgery.

How do you look at your journey in the field of Science and Research?

My journey post-graduation from medicine has been phenomenal. With the grace of God and the blessings of my parents I have been able to publish medical research in 10 high impact journals (around the globe), present at 20 medical conferences at both an international & national level, complete a Masters degree and I am currently undergoing a PhD. I have also been awarded approximately $400,000 in competitive research funding. The journey has only just begun, and there is much more work left to be done. I am extremely grateful to my clinical and academic mentors and all my colleagues who have made this journey possible.

What drew you to this field of medicine?

Vascular Surgery is a unique branch of surgery as the work is not confined to a specific part of the body unlike other surgical specialities. For example, vascular surgeons operate on blood vessels found within the arms, legs, abdomen and neck. Many of the interventions are becoming minimally invasive with new endovascular devices and there is potential to make a difference in individuals who cannot undergo extensive open surgeries. Our patients often have many chronic diseases and managing their medical issues are often challenging and rewarding. There are also many opportunities to get involved and contribute in research related to the field.

Which moment of your life would you call as the turning point?

The turning point in my life would be when I got an offer to study medicine. My parents have supported me throughout this journey and I am very grateful to them for all their help.

What excites you the most about your work?

The most exciting aspect of this profession is that I get to interact with new people every day and make a difference to their lives. The nature of the work is such that I am always on the move facing new challenges every day. You can never predict what the day will be like and that keeps the work exciting. There is plenty of scope to continue learning and develop new skills which is very important.

Has there been any obstacle or challenge that you faced in your path?

Yes. As with any profession, there are many obstacles and challenges in the field of medicine. Doctors need to be prepared to sacrifice time with family and friends, work long hours and provide on-call services in the early hours of the morning, and study for numerous exams throughout their career. Furthermore, training to become a specialist often takes many years post-graduation. I think you need to have a genuine passion for the profession to overcome these obstacles.

What is it that you like to do when you are not working?

Listening and composing music. I am a huge admirer of composers such as Madan Mohan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jagjit Singh, Himesh Reshammiya, A. R. Rahman & more recently Arko Pravo Mukherjee who happens to be a qualified medical doctor who is currently churning out many hits in Bollywood!

Message for young and aspiring doctors:

I think it is extremely important for aspiring doctors to be good listeners. Patients want their doctors to listen to them and understand their concerns. It is important to recognise that we are treating patients, not just medical conditions! This aspect often gets forgotten. Secondly, medicine is very dynamic and with the evolution of evidence-based medicine, it’s important for young doctors to develop a passion for life-long learning.

What are your future plans?

My future plans are to complete training in Vascular Surgery. I hope to become a Vascular Surgeon with academic interests.

Quick questions:

One person you take inspiration from: My mother

One piece of advice that has stayed with you: “Knowledge is power”

One thing that you want to change about this world: I would like to see every individual in this world have access to basic health facilities.