Introduction to Ish

 

Hey everybody! My name’s Ishan, but I go by Ish, like fish without the f. I’m a sophomore and I’m majoring in both Biology and Letters with a Pre-Med track. I hope to practice medicine, but I’m still unsure of the specialty I want to work in. I’ve been fascinated with neurosurgery, but the extensive schooling and long, risky procedures made the field less appealing. I recently read Do No Harm by Dr. Henry Marsh, one of the world’s best neurosurgeons, and the various stories demonstrated the difficult lifestyle of a neurosurgeon. As a result, I’d be more interested in a neurosurgical specialization of a field I found appealing, such as a neuro-ophthalmology, but I’m open to all options.

 

I was born in Frankfort, Indiana; it’s an extremely small town relatively close to Indianapolis. My family and I moved to St. Joseph, Missouri when I began preschool, before moving to Terre Haute, Indiana when I began 3rd grade. We then moved to Edmond, Oklahoma when I began middle school and we’ve been here ever since. My family consists of my older sister, my mom, my dad, and my dog, Lucky. My older sister is currently at the OU College of Medicine in her third year. My dad is an internal medicine physician and works at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. My mom was a microbiologist, but she retired and is now focused on her various business projects. My dog, pictured below, is a maltipoo, meaning he’s half Maltese and half poodle. He’s 10 years old, weighs only 6 pounds, and he loves mangoes and sweet potatoes.

 

A picture of my dog, Lucky.

Over quarantine, I was able to read A.L. Basham’s The Wonder That Was India and S.A.A. Rizvi’s The Wonder That Was India, Vol. 2. Both books explored Indian history across time, beginning at ancient Indian history and ending at the fall of Muslim empires. They also explored the evolution of Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, which sparked my interest for this class. I am a Hindu, but I’ve never truly grasped the Indian Epics, and I’m really looking forward to learning more about these stories.  

Comments

  1. I am so intrigued by this idea of neuro-ophthalmology, Ish! I've got very bad eyesight, and I recently had to have retinal surgery: and it was AMAZING. I live in North Carolina right now, so I had it done at the Duke Eye Clinic, which is such an impressive place. My surgeon was this wonderful doctor: Dilraj Singh Grewal. So, I am someone whose quality of life is totally indebted to optometrists and ophthalmologists, and having that surgery, while not something I ever expected or wanted, was a great experience in the end. With all the advances in eye medicine and technology, I can imagine that would be a great field to be in. And of course from your family background, you have insight into what the medical life is like; I can just say as a patient: I love the Duke Eye Clinic! And I really hope this class can be a chance for you to explore the wonder that was (and is) India. I first got hooked on the Mahabharata when I saw Peter Brook's monumental film on PBS about 30 years ago... and here I am, still totally obsessing about the epics. I am so curious to see what will grab your attention as you read and explore!
    There's even a very famous dog that appears in the Mahabharata right at the very end... as to whether that dog loved mangos or not, I do not know. :-)

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  2. That book is amazing! I recommend a similar book called "When Breath Becomes Air." It also follows the same physician-medical vibe as that book. Lucky is so cute! It's so exciting that you come from a physician family background. I am sure you see all the good and bad when it comes to the life of a physician. I wish you luck on your pre-med journey!

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  3. Hi Ish! I also think neurosurgery is fascinating, and I got to shadow some neurosurgeons several years ago over the summer. It was an unreal experience, but I agree that the lifestyle is probably very hard work and high-stress. My roommate recently got a maltipoo puppy, so it's cool to see yours! Lastly, I am half-Indian, and I also would like to learn more about the epics.

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  4. Hey Ish,

    I think you will do great in whichever path you decide to follow. Neurosurgery is pretty remarkable, but I get that school is super long. Not everyone wants to be in school for that long. I think it is so cool that your name is Ishan because I have a brother named Ishaan as well, but with an extra a. Lucky, your Maltipoo, is so adorable and I just love how he like mangoes! I have a Yorkie named Milo that we got just before the pandemic.

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  5. Hi Ish! I am also on the premed track and am majoring in Biochemistry. I somewhat know what speciality I want to go into however who knows that may change once I get into medical school so I think we have some time to figure it all out. I also think neurosurgery is fascinating however I completely agree with you about extensive schooling and the long residency! Your dog is so cute! I have a Maltese who is 12 years old.

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  6. Hi! Your dog is adorable! I am a huge dog lover! I have my own dog here with me in Norman, and two family dogs at home in Dallas with my mom. Your future goals are incredibly impressive! I used to want to go to medical school and become a pediatric surgeon, but I decided that that is just a little bit too much school for me haha. Good luck in your future!

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  7. Hi Ish I like your dog. I have a dog of my own and she is a lot of fun. I think the field of neurology is one of the coolest fields in medicine since the brain is so complex and there are so many mysteries about it. So I think that it's cool that you are interested in that field. Maybe you will be one of the people who make big discovery of how the brain works. Best of luck.

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  8. Hi Ish!
    I'm also a Pre-Med student! My hope is that I will become an Anesthesiologist. One thing that is different between us is my parents did not attend college, and they also do not work in the medical field. Because your parents and older sister are in the medial field, do you think that pushed you to have similar goals?
    Good luck on the Pre-Med track, and finding your desired speciality!

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  9. Hi Ish! It sounds like this is not the first time that you have had to explain how to pronounce your name lol. I'm also pre-med and have a little dog who loves sweet potatoes! I've never tried out mangoes though, so I'll have to give it a go sometime. Something tells me it won't be popular- but anything is possible!

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  10. Hey Ish, I'm from Edmond and have lived there my whole life. I went to Summit Middle School and Edmond Santa Fe. I am a senior right now but maybe we ran into each other one day in the hallways if you went to either school. Neurosurgery sounds pretty tough but you have gotten to this point with hard work. Keep up the good work and you will be a doctor in no time.

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  11. Hi Ish! It's so cool that this class is helping you connect better with a part of your life, I bet that is going to make this class very fun. Also, your majors sound very intense, you must have a lot of work to do! Good luck with your studies and I wish you well in medical school. Hi Ish! Lucky is the cutest dog I have ever seen! He looks so sweet and I like his name. It's so cool that this class is helping you connect better with a part of your life, I bet that is going to make this class very fun. Also, your majors sound very intense, you must have a lot of work to do! Good luck with your studies and I wish you well in medical school.

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  12. Hi Ish,

    Your dog is so cute. I have a small dog as well, and she is a half poodle mix. I love to travel, but I have never been to Indiana or Missouri. Although I bet it was hard having to settle somewhere, It must have been cool to experience all those different cities, and meeting all sorts of new people. I think your future goals are really impressive, and it is interesting to see all these people chase after their dreams. Good luck with everything!

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  13. Hi Ish!
    I don't blame you for straying away for neurosurgery; it does seem like it would be more risky than other specialties because one wrong move could be detrimental to every part of your patient's body. It seems medicine and science runs in the family, so I think it is cool that you followed that path but still found your own calling. Your dog is so cute (I'm sure you hear that a lot), and I love that he eats mangoes and sweet potatoes! He has good taste though.

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