Nirshanthan Nagarajah

How did CLS get you ready for the world of work?
Being at CLS was one of the best periods of my life and I still tell people how much I loved being at secondary school. I never felt pressured about exams or performing well, it was just an ethos that infused the school and resulted in great achievements organically. Besides this I learnt the essential values of honesty, motivation, efficiency, friendship and camaraderie. The confidence and skills that I learnt to challenge unfairness or poor quality regardless of seniority I believe has pushed me further than my counterparts from other schools. These values have continued throughout my education and working life and I believe have contributed just as much to my career as the education has given me. The pride that comes from being able to contradict others who complain about their school experience helps them as much as it does me, as they also have children, and it gives them confidence that there are great schools out there.

What was your first job?
I started working in my father’s general practice in Tottenham during the holidays as a receptionist during university. At the time becoming a general practitioner was the most unlikely career choice for me and I do not think I realised how helpful this period was. However, I got to learn about the deprivation in society both relating to patients but also the staff themselves as significant numbers of staff within the NHS work on very low wages. This taught me the importance of everyone I work with and that these people often need to be cherished and looked after more than the highly paid ones.

Your biggest professional achievement?
This is almost an impossible question to answer as there have been so many milestones over my career from: receiving my medical degree, passing membership exams for the Royal College of General Practice and Royal College of Physicians, successfully competing with 200 applicants to secure a partnership immediately after qualifying as GP,  merging with a neighbouring practice to form a large multisite one, receiving practicing privileges at two private hospitals, becoming Assistant Director of GP studies at the University of Cambridge medical school, to most recently becoming Lead for GP Services at LIPS Battersea, a new private healthcare facility at the recently renovated power station. I would have to say though the biggest professional achievement is being told by medical students that I have taught previously that I have inspired them to remain as doctors at a time when significant numbers are leaving the profession.

Your most challenging professional moment?
I had originally planned to become a surgeon (like most people who enter medical school) but was told during my first 3 months in surgery during my house officer jobs by my consultant that he did not think I had the ability to do it. This was immediately refuted by my next surgical consultant, but it forced a period of introspection and changed the next post I applied to allow me time to think about it. I realised during that time that in truth, I wanted to be a physician and in hindsight I am so grateful for that relatively minor comment that has changed my life completely. I am sure that if I had continued with my original path I would have, like many of my friends, had difficulties and I would not have enjoyed my career anywhere near as much as I do now.

What inspires and motivates you at work?
So many things. My family: I strive to set a good example for my children and my eldest son has already expressed an interest in becoming a doctor. My patients: who really care about me as much as I do about them. Doing the best for patients is getting increasingly difficult within the NHS but I have never allowed that to stop me. My reputation: I strive to have a reputation for being an honest and fair person with the values I mentioned above – this often means challenging the absence of these which may make me unpopular at times, but I do it for the greater good. My students: besides motivating my children, I want to motivate my students equally and make sure that they realise that medicine is a vast field with significant areas that they can explore. This is often not made easy by the system but demonstrating my experience to them helps them realise that it is possible and that they will be the better for it. Becoming a doctor is like joining an extremely large family – most of us care about and support each other. It’s one of the things that makes medicine so unique and so enjoyable at the same time.

One piece of advice for pupils and other Old Citizens about getting into your profession
Medicine is a wonderful career full of intrigue and excitement. No day is ever the same and there are so many differing specialities that it can work for almost everyone. It is a very difficult field to study so you will need to be both intelligent and hard working to make things easier, but it is also essential to be a caring individual. You do not need to love everything about medicine and equally it does not matter if you hate particular areas. It is important you realise that the undergraduate degree is only the first step in a long journey learning and discovery that will continue throughout your life. It is unlikely you will ever be extremely wealthy, but you always have enough. It is one of the few careers that you are paid to truly help people and change not only their lives but those of their loved ones, friends and the entirety of society for the better. It truly is a privilege to be a doctor.