SATimes, Vol.1 No.34 Decemeber 13-19, 2008: Starting from our next issue onwards, we will be adding a new perspective to our health section. This has become necessary given the rapid growth of our readership and the diverse health interests of our audience. This new series on health and wellness will be titled "Dr. Jain's Corner."
Sandeep Jain is a practicing physician in Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. "It was sheer luck that I became a doctor - the first in my family. I was 17th on the waiting list long after all admissions had closed and medical schools had begun their curriculum. There was simply no chance. Even when a position miraculously opened up two months later my family did not have the money to pay the fees - a neighbor - a farishtaa (angel) paid!"
He has spent a decade practicing medicine, first in East Harlem and now in East New York - the poorest neighborhoods in the US. When asked about this, he says: "My mother cautioned me to 'also' always see the poor patient. Fate was eavesdropping and only heard the last part of the conversation!" He continues, "The truth is that there is something special about providing care to those who need it most. I see such variety that I have to remember that diseases don't read books - we do. All I've learned, my patients have taught me over time. Time is a physician's best friend. For a surgeon - it's more like a girlfriend you can't predict!" he laughs.
Dr. Jain has broad interests from healthcare quality ("the benchmark for good care"), healthcare IT (he serves on the Board of Sowsia Healthcare Solutions, Inc.), medical education, to patient safety and journalism (he was the Editor for his College magazine).
As Director of Financial and Clinical Operations, he credits his mentors at work with helping him develop an understanding of the business side of healthcare and challenges that hospitals and physicians face in today's environment.
With the start of "Dr. Jain's Corner," you will now benefit from news, views and reviews of topics, products and services related to health through Dr. Jain's eyes. He brings to our newspaper, practical knowledge, real world experience as well as a distinct South Asian flavor - his own perspective on things we all need to understand in order to become masters of our wellness and the illnesses that threaten it. We want our readers to be in the driver's seat - confident, informed and taking charge of their healthcare decisions.
To this end, we hope that you will find Dr. Jain's corner informative and his conversations thought provoking. To quote him: "Our role is simply to 'light the wick'. The darkness will vanish on its own."
We welcome him to our family and wish him the best and look forward to your readership and dialogue with us. Dr. Jain can be reached at doctor@thesouthasiantimes.com.
News Brief: SA Times
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