Post graduate training had a lot of ‘firsts’ in my life. I found myself suddenly thrown into uncharted waters and I learnt a lot of lessons. The following is an attempt at capturing my life’s headlines during my PG days. It is like the “breaking news” in contemporary idiot box. I’m not sure if the country wants to know. But I do want to reminisce and share as to how I stumbled and fumbled, crept and wept, lost and found my way during those wonder years.

Pièce de résistance: Field work

            Public health related work usually involves venturing out. Venturing out of comfort zone. I found it difficult to string together a set of 4 words in a meaningful manner to a bunch of any 4 random people gathered in any random place. All of a sudden I had to visit corridors of power for signatures and permissions. The big thing within me called “ego” vanished into thin air. I found myself talking to government officials, school headmasters, panchayat sarpanchs, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) workers, anganwadi workers. From grass root level cadres to heads of organizations. They come in all hues. Talking was just the beginning. I had to get my work done through them. Things that no textbook will state and no teacher can teach.

Cleanliness is next to godliness

I read the seminal work of physician John Snow in 1854 cholera epidemic in London. What struck me the most was the fact that the causative organism, Vibrio cholerae was yet to be discovered, in spite of which the epidemic was controlled and many lives were saved. This was a “wow-moment”. Hit-man epidemiology had suddenly turned super hero. In the eyes of my mind, physician John Snow and the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes suddenly merged. They came together to solve public health mysteries in the magical world of epidemiology. The struggling and stuttering student in me had found a new mission. I wanted to be an agent of change, contributing towards betterment of human lives. I also developed a passion for teaching epidemiology, whatever little I could accrue, to a diverse group of research aspirants.

Prevention is better than cure

For the improvement of the health of people and communities, one cannot treat, treat, treat, treat, treat and achieve better health. One has to prevent, prevent, prevent, prevent, and prevent to reach good health. Treatment is always over-rated and prevention is under-rated. If all those concerned with the health care system, including common people understand this concept and practice prevention, it is just magic. Pure magic.

Do not compare apples with oranges

            Compare like with like. One of the important dictums of epidemiology is similar things have to be compared. If there is a 100-meter dash, the starting points of all athletes should be the same. Similarly, at the beginning of any study, particularly randomized controlled trial, the different arms of the trial should be similar with respect to certain important parameters. An academician’s colleague asked him casually “How’s your wife?” The academician replied “Compared to whom? My mother or my sister or an average Indian women?”. He added “with respect to what? Her cooking or job or what aspect?” My first reaction was that this guy is a “psycho”. Then I realized the power of strong comparison.

Time, place and person

“Marriage is getting married to the right person, in the right time and in the right place”. This is the definition of marriage. Coming from a specialty that is (wrongly) accused of being a stickler for definitions, this does not come as a surprise. These 3 words are like the 3 musketeers. Very famous words in epidemiology. A new disease has to be first described under time, place and person. COVID-19 is a classic example.

Minimum efforts, maximum benefits

            If I have to switch off all the lights in my workplace, should I turn off every single switch or just the main switch? Welcome to Public Health!! The idea is to reach as many people as possible with minimum resources. We do not have the luxury of unlimited resources, and still cater to the needs of one and all. This calls for identification of methods and approaches that will maximize health benefits of maximum number of individuals. “Greatest good of greatest number of people”.

Do not do anything that cannot be evaluated

            One of the mantras of Public Health practice is to evaluate all activities to find out if it is meeting its objectives or not. We routinely conduct school checkup and outreach programs. Does it work? Is it effective? These are some real, tough questions that I have been facing since many eons. This dictum changed my way of thinking and shaped my initiatives.

Do not do anything that cannot be published

            This is the addendum of the previous dictum. If something can be evaluated, it can be published. We are currently living in an era of “Publish or Perish”, “Publish and Flourish”. This makes my thought process a lot more precise and clearer. Over a period of time, I found this to be a very useful tool.

“Operation teamwork”: No heroism

            There is a big problem with disaster stories in popular culture and media. There will be one hero, who will save the world. Fortunately or unfortunately, this is not true in Public Health. For instance, a school check-up program is not a one-man-show. It entails obtaining permissions, preparing and sterilizing instruments, commuting, check-up and other aspects. One person cannot do everything. Many intricate details that go into these routine programs is humbling. Again, our fragile “ego” vanishes into thin air. Public Health is a great leveler!!

When in doubt, ask

            There were innumerable doubts during my “teething” PG days. Some small, some not so small. Some big, some not so big. I used to pester my immediate seniors and junior faculty with all those mundane queries. I can vividly recollect my senior’s hostel roommate who started walking out of the room the moment I entered. I’m not kidding!! Our conversations were so “toxic”!! “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” Amen!! Just ask.

When in doubt, do

This is the addendum for the previous dictum. Sometimes, one will not know if a certain idea works or not. The only way to find out is to do it. “Just do it” as the famous adage goes. It is highly recommended to follow the first dictum first and then the addendum later. Only after your peers throw you out of their rooms, you can embark on this adventure.

At the end of the day

Public Health Dentistry is an altruistic discipline that puts the health of all as its ultimate goal. It requires skill-sets that are different from conventional clinical practice. Prevention of diseases is one of its core principles. PG days were truly my wonder years. An amazing and an exciting voyage of learning and discovery. For coffee/tea lovers, PHD is like coffee/tea. Difficult to put in words as to why you love it, but you love it nonetheless!!