“Our differences are what enrich us” says Spinal Injuries Clinical Lead

Mr Joy Chowdhury, Clinical Lead for the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH), has taken time out of his busy schedule to reflect on his career and how his culture was the large driving force in his decision to become a clinician.

Born in Calcutta, India, Mr Chowdhury knew from an early age that he wanted to go into medicine. He recalls a conversation with his grandmother.

“I can remember it clearly, I must’ve only been around four years old. My grandmother – my mum’s mum – lived with us and I told her very proudly that one day, when I grew up I would buy something for her,” he said.

“In a typical way that I think all grandmothers speak, regardless of their culture, she responded – ‘I will be long gone by then’. So I proudly exclaimed: ‘I will keep you alive, I will become a Doctor!’ – and that thought never really left my head beyond that point.”

Although none of Mr Chowdhury’s immediate family members were Doctors – he was encouraged to take that path by family members.

He said: “In Asian culture, your parents want you to go down either of these three routes – medicine, engineering or law. I knew that by choosing to become a Doctor, I was making my family proud – and I think that did influence me slightly, I must admit.”

Mr Chowdhury, who was appointed by RJAH in 2008, had lived in the UK 12 years prior to that.

He said: “My first few months in the UK were a real culture shock. The language was tricky, particularly due to the varying regional accents, that made it harder for me to initially comprehend – as well as other things, seeing public displays of affection while out and about, that was strange initially.

“As with all changes in life though, it just takes time – and my wife had been brilliant at ensuring we forged friendships with neighbours, as well as the parents of children at our daughter’s school. We had always been made to feel extremely welcome and at home – and that’s always meant a lot to us.

“Our differences are what enrich us and it’s always been heartening to feel so at ease and at home in the UK.”

It was while in the UK that Mr Chowdhury realised that spinal injuries was the area of medicine he wanted to go into.

He said: “It was totally accidental. My plan had been to go into Orthopaedics/General Surgery but it was when spinal injuries was one of my rotations while training, that I opened my eyes and I’ve never looked back since.

“I ended up applying for a role at Stoke Mandeville’s Spinal Unit, which I got, and then in 2003, I joined MCSI at RJAH as a Registrar, before becoming a substantive Locum in 2008 and as they say, the rest is history.

“Spinal injuries is either for you or it isn’t. I love the holistic aspect of it and the fact that you fight and advocate your patients – and these patients are in your life for a long time. They are lifelong patients and the relationship and understanding you have with them is incredibly special.”