About

Dr Lokesh Chawla loved creative professions as a child dreamed of becoming an artist But his great love for his father ultimately determined his choice of profession For Lokesh his father has always been an example and support And when the moment of the final choice of profession came, Lokesh chose the profession of a doctor to fulfill his father's unrealized dream

For more than ten years Lokesh has been working as an orthopedic surgeon and does not regret the choice he made He considers it as the biggest passion of his life and says he feels privileged that he has the opportunity to make a difference in people s lives

How was your father able to persuade you to opt for the profession of a doctor? What did he interest you in?

I've always wanted to benefit people, to do something tangible and meaningful at the same time Thanks to my father's stories, I knew about the importance of the medical profession and could imagine my future job He seemed to me just as everyday-"heroic" as I had dreamed of, since childhood I like helping others and I am glad if my help is beneficial Through the All India Entrance examination I enrolled in a medical college at Goa Although being a surgeon gives me a great sense of authority and responsibility being polite and kind goes a long way in any sphere of life In spite of hustles in personal life space, I always stay calm, and my first priority is always dealing with patients’ problems Being in a medical profession I have learnt empathy

How did your career develop after graduating from Goa Medical College?

Working at Goa Medical College was the best decision in my life I attribute my success journey to my teachers and professors who had been constantly involved in providing inspiration in achieving my long term career goals I worked there as a surgeon for 5 years, obtaining my Masters degree in Orthopaedic Surgery Under the guidance of my mentors, I received the State Gold medal for the best performance

Why did you move to the UK?

Working at the same place can sometimes stagnate the opportunity to learn new things I think that everyone should take all possibilities for improving himself I wanted to gain international experience in the surgical field and I wanted to understand the difference in health care systems across the world With all due respect to my seniors in the field in my home country, who have achieved major milestones in their field I decided to take the opportunity of working in the UK as a full-time surgeon and enhancing my knowledge

Have you worked in several hospitals? What were all those years like?

My vocation is to be a doctor Every hospital I have worked in, has helped me to improve my professional qualities and skills Therefore I am sincerely glad that every year I am becoming more professional and can help more patients In addition every new year of working as a doctor allows me to understand, how important it is to do what you love

How does the profession of a doctor differ from other professions?

There are many differences in medicine: responsibility for the lives of other people the need to make difficult decisions quickly and understand that you are responsible for everything, but not everything depends on you The main thing is to update yourself everyday But that's not enough You need to attend all available courses and trainings because something new is constantly appearing, treatment methods are being adjusted And the doctor needs to be aware of all latest advances in technologies in order to provide the best patient care

What do you think it means to be a good doctor?

A doctor should always be a professional otherwise he is not a doctor And being a doctor means having a special character A person should be stress-resistant know "what is good and what is bad" from a moral point of view A doctor is a vocation You can't take off your robe and stop being a doctor My opinion: a bad personality cannot be a good doctor Sooner or later all his negativity will inevitably manifest itself in his work, in his attitude towards patients colleagues A good doctor is competent and sensitive, cultured and careful in everything

What do you have to tell patients most often?

Lifestyle is the cause of all diseases

Patients often come and complain about health problems When I ask them about the daily routine, they answer: "I sleep two hours a day, eat once a day - in fast food drink and smoke " How can the body function normally in such conditions? When I recommend them to change a lifestyle not all patients agree But, unfortunately, instant pills for all diseases have not yet been invented First of all we need to love ourselves and understand that the quality of life depends first on ourselves

How do you manage to abstract yourself from unpleasant moments?

I want to tell you about my serious hobby I got my private pilot's license one year ago So now I'm trying to conquer the sky And I like how I manage to fly an airplane Being a pilot is very responsible and risky, but at the same time it gives me emotional and mental peace In my time after work I like to sing And I also like to travel Unfortunately, there is not enough time for other hobbies But I have an enthusiastic nature I like to try everything new, to get acquainted with the unknown facets of being

Trying anything new, how do you understand that new activity can be your future hobby?

Just one special indicator helps me to understand that new activity deserves to get my time It s unusual inner feeling If I feel extremely impressive beating of my heart trying anything new this is the right indicator to be sure that I’m doing something that will be my future passion Just this! It means that I listen to my heart Taking decisions following the heart can be useful in many cases

Are there emotions in the sky or should they be left on the ground?

When a person sitting inside the cockpit controls the plane as part of his body this is a real pilot On the plane you should keep your mind clean and your passion inside touching your heart

But at the same time I can point on one important thing: any pilot should not to be led to any provocations For the pilot, there is a rule –it s necessarily to make decisions a little faster than an ordinary person This is one of the most important dimensions of being a pilot

What is about fear?

It's not fear, it's charm

A very thin line

Therefore, if you are afraid, then either raise or just leave That's all

There is no place in the sky for fear, because fear has always interfered

The same goes to all professional spheres of life

And finally, a few words of wishes for our readers.

Develop as a person improve yourself professionally Learn something new every day Turn your life into an exciting journey! Love and be loved And of course be healthy!