Raelene Kambli explores Dr Rakesh Sinha’s growth trajectory and how he demonstrates that a clinical expert can take on different roles and yet continue to excel in their signature skill
How can one truly define success in medical practice?
Often people measure success with the happiness they get by doing their jobs, or by the joy that others feel as a result of their work. Going by various books, success is defined as a state where a person achieves money and power. Psychologists simply describe success as a state of self-satisfaction.
Well, the fact reminds that success is a crucial element of happiness and can be interpreted in several ways. When it comes to determining success for a medical practitioner, it is often associated with clinical excellence. Nevertheless, as the practice of medicine continues to evolve, the role of a practitioner keeps changing and so does the definition of success amplifies.
India has several examples of healthcare leaders who ascertain that success in medical practice today is much more than just clinical excellence. It is about providing value-based care to patients for which practitioners need to understand the co-relation between medicine and management. Let’s look at the lives of influential leaders in Indian healthcare such as, Dr Prathap Reddy, Dr Devi Shetty, Dr Ramakant Panda, Dr Naresh Trehan, late Dr L H Hiranandani, Dr A Velumani and so on. They all have not just achieved clinical excellence but have graduated to be entrepreneurs, philanthropists, motivational speakers, etc., and still continued to shine in their medical practice. Taking up different roles is not a cake walk. But these leaders, by beating all odds in their path to glory, prove that this isn’t impossible too. They display qualities of agility, perseverance, courage, immense volition to grow, a clear mind and above all a risk taking attitude. Their definition of success is to have a continued purpose in life. A purpose to save many lives and to make a difference.
This drives them to take on different roles, explore new avenues or surmount newer heights. All this is done with just one intention that is to become a healthcare influencer and to earn a name that the world will cherish for a very long time, isn’t it?
This is evident from the fact that patients actively seek for their medical advice even if it means a long waiting time or travelling to another city. This becomes their Unique Selling Preposition (USP) which is the most important element of brand building.
The reason I speak of these leaders as inspiration is because they teach us great lessons on self development, success and above all building the brand called ‘The doctor’. My recent interaction with one such leader was an eye-opener.
A management pill for doctors
Dr Rakesh Sinha, a gynaecological endoscopic surgeon, teacher, trainer, an entrepreneur, a motivational speaker and now an author firmly believes in the concept of self development to make a great fortune. Quoting the words of Jim Rohn he says,“If you work hard on your job, you will make a living. But if you work hard on your self, you will make a fortune. This approach has made a tremendous difference in my life. The rewards of self development are far more than just being a great surgeon.”
When asked about why a surgeon is so keen being a motivational speaker and a management guru, he shares, “There is a human potential movement happening globally and I am trying to make people aware of their potential.”
Quoting from the words of Benjiman Franklin, Dr Sinha says, “Most of us live like ‘Sundials in the Shade’ who haven’t yet explored their true potential. We are all capable of doing something great, but rarely understand our true potentials and therefore settle down for less.”
I quiet agree with Dr Sinha on this aspect. John Maxwell, a leadership trainer from Florida describing ways to unleash the extraordinary potential within individuals writes, “Basic physics describes two kinds of energy at play given any situation — potential and kinetic energy. Potential energy refers to the energy that an object could have as it sits at the top of the hill. Due to gravity, the snowball has the potential to move down the hill. As the snowball rolls, it exerts kinetic energy.” Maxwell calls this the energy of motion. He says, “All it takes is a little push and the object starts rolling. There may be resistance along the way, but the momentum is enough to keep it moving.”
With this illustration Maxwell draws parallels to human nature towards stretching themselves to do more.
Similarly, Dr Sinha uses management lessons to enhance his medical practice on a day-to-day basis. He says that management is key to every healthcare organisation, in order to provide value-based care to their patients.
Giving an example for the same he says that, healthcare organisations usually invest heavily on advertising to attract patients. Rather, they need to invest in their physicians and nursing staff. “Investing in people gives great returns on investment (ROI). This is one of the most important lesson which the healthcare providers need to learn which is why, I keep reiterating on the importance of self development.”
Certainly, Dr Sinha has a case in point that reflects that a right strategy adopted towards self development and brand building will lead to success.
Here is his game plan.
A doctor par excellence
Dr Sinha believes that it is important to pick up a niche area and build expertise around it. In his career path he exactly did the same. He chose to gain clinical excellence in the field of gynaecological laparoscopy and kept updating his knowledge in this area. Through this he achieved two Guinness World Records – one, for having removed the largest fibroid weighing 3.4 kgs laparoscopically and second for having taken out the largest uterus weighing 4.1 kgs laparoscopically.
A teacher’s role is important for progress
During those days, Dr Sinha also established a chain of specialised surgery centres for women called Beams Hospitals. It is now called Womens Hospital. While expanding his business and continuing to update his skills from laparoscopy to robotics, he trained several gynaecologists and surgical endoscopic surgeons from India and abroad. He did it in order to share the knowledge he gained and to continue the learning process within himself. He has been a faculty for training workshops in Endoscopic Surgery in London, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Kenya and has delivered lectures, presented papers, keynote addresses and orations at the UK, the US, Holland, Kenya, Singapore, Germany, Italy, Malaysia and Canada besides India.
Undertaking a teaching role did not hinder Dr Sinha, as laparoscopic fibroid surgery is his signature skill. Therefore, even when Dr Sinha attended workshops and training programmes, he juggled with time to perform endoscopic surgeries in more than 55 cities in India.
Re-inventing himself as a success mentor
“Humans have 25947 genes. Those are the number of excuses that people can make for not utilising their full potential. But if, you turn them around they can become 25947 opportunities,” says an optimistic Dr Sinha. With this mindset, he continued to grow in his endless capacities. He went on to become four time international marathon runner having completed 42.195 kms each time. Further on, he pursued an internationally certificate to be a motivational speaker and a licentiate practitioner for Neuro- linguistic Programming (NLP). Moreover, Dr Sinha has also done a special training in Anthropomaximology, a study of understanding higher human potential.
All these noteworthy accomplishments have earned him goodwill in India as well abroad. With this acclaim, he has been featured on Jack Canfield’s Success Profiles.
The latest addition to his portfolio is the book where he intends to dissect the science of being successful.
Anatomy of Success in a nutshell
Two and a half minutes, 150 seconds that is the time limit given to him to a save a live. How does Dr Sinha manage this short time frame to make a life-death decision?
The book begins with a gripping episode of past experiences that explains what medicine can teach about success on a day-to-day basis. Dr Sinha narrates incidences that teach him how important it is to take risk, to unlearn when needed so that one can learn new things, to have a strong will power and undeterred focus to continue on the path to progress and so on. He further discusses success as a combination of three parts: what you are born with, or Biology; what you learn along the way, or Learning; and your deep desire to succeed, or Cognition.
Apart from this, Dr Sinha also advices to maintain a balance in every area of our lives. It is imperative to attain these achievements, happiness, legacy and significance in areas of profession, personal, family and spiritual life.
Likewise, he stresses upon the fact that we need to challenge mediocracy and rise above. “Despite our genetic make-up, everybody can succeed, if we have the inner urge to do something worthwhile. But above all, the most important ingredient to success is the character of integrity that defines the path you choose for prosperity,” he asserts.
Well, the book makes an interesting read. It tells us exactly what the practice of medicine can teach us about success. He also lays emphasis on the fact that science aims to become a coach to handhold people through their success journey.
Learning lessons
Dr Sinha’s success mantra is indeed praiseworthy. He directs us to chase our dreams with great zeal. His growth trajectory also demonstrates that a clinical expert can take on different roles and yet continue to excel in their signature skill. However, it is also important to stay grounded and not be distracted, not feel tired and above all, maintain a balance in the four main areas of life.
Quoting the words of Dr A Velumani, when he addressed CXOs from the healthcare sector about his life’s journey at Healthcare Senate 2016, “Step out of your comfort zones and explore new areas of growth as only those who have the courage to take risks and venture into the unknown would be successful. In life, there is security and there is prosperity, but there is nothing called secured prosperity”.