The adage ‘an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ rings true in the case of 21-year-old Sai Ram Pillarisetti. A fourth year medical student at the University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, he has established the UK’s first International Medical Students Wing — a division of British International Doctors Association (BIDA) of which he is the youngest member. Established in 1975, BIDA represents the voice of international medical graduates, and now, international medical students, in the UK. He is the son of well-known Hyderabad-based breast surgeon and president of the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI), Dr Raghu Ram. Currently on a two-week visit to India, he talks to us on his initiative and his role in BIDA:
What is the intent behind starting the International Medical Students Wing?
Most international medical students studying in the UK do not have family members in the medical profession to guide them through their education and training. Although they could access this support at University, in my experience, it is not as robust as it could be.
To bridge this gap, I conceived and established the student wing of BIDA. The aim is to empower students from India and other countries who are pursuing their MBBS in the UK, and provide a platform to guide them during the formative training period.
Students who arrive in a foreign country to attend university often experience ‘culture shock’ and homesickness which can make them anxious and worried. The BIDA Student Wing aims to address this by integrating them into the UK system and empowering them by organising cricket and other sports tournaments where BIDA student members can play against their colleagues in various parts of the country.
How has the pandemic affected the medical students?
The effects of the pandemic have been felt in every part of the world and ours is no different. The need for social distancing will prove to be challenging in terms of the exposure medical students experience to patients during hospital placements. Medical teaching in hospitals forms a major part of the curriculum and is vital to students’ learning.
The last academic year was cut short by the pandemic, with medical schools and UK universities closing in March. According to UK’s General Medical Council (GMC) regulations, this will mean that students across the country will need to make up for the lost clinical hours during the upcoming academic year. This additional workload plus an already rigorous course will prove to be very challenging and reiterates the need for an organisation like the BIDA Student Wing to help students cope with the pressure.
Tell us more about BIDA
The British International Doctors Association (BIDA), is the oldest organisation representing international doctors working in the UK. Its membership includes senior doctors of the international medical fraternity who are keen to help mould the future generation. They will support and guide us as we organise training workshops, offer indispensable career advice to students and even help with research opportunities.
BIDA was formed with the sole objective of promoting equality and fairness for all doctors working in the UK. BIDA’s mission is to achieve equal treatment of all doctors based on their competence and merit irrespective of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or country of origin. The BIDA Student Wing was formed with the purpose of extending these values to the international student doctor community which represents the medical practitioners of the future.
How does it feel to be the youngest National Executive Committee member of BIDA in its 45-year history?
I am deeply grateful to have been selected as member of BIDA’s national executive committee; I regularly remind myself of the great responsibility associated with this position. I have been serving on the National Executive Committee since 2018.
One of our recent successes was the scrapping of the NHS surcharge fee for immigrant medical staff. BIDA and other like-minded organisations extensively lobbied the Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) and other government ministers and were successful in the government reversing its stance.
What / Who inspires you to take up challenges?
I take great inspiration from my parents who are both accomplished doctors, but I am inspired by my dad in particular. After my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, my father made the decision to leave behind a comfortable job and lucrative opportunities in the UK to relocate to India with a mission to improve the delivery of breast healthcare in the country.
I was only nine years old when we moved but distinctly remember being inspired by his commitment to his profession and the dedication with which he pursues various initiatives to help people in his motherland.
I believe that I have passively imbibed some of his passion for undertaking initiatives for the greater good of the community at large and have taken up this challenge to ensure that BIDA Student Wing achieves its goals.
