House of Experts Ep 23: Vibha Kagzi in Conversation with Dr. Rajalaxmi Walavalkar

House of Experts is a show that ReachIvy kick-started to help those who are unclear about their career choices. We hope through these sessions with some very successful people, we can shed light on a new career path every week. House of Experts plans to make a collection of interactive and informative sessions with experts from various domains.
Vibha Kagzi, the host, is the Founder and CEO of ReachIvy.com, a premium study abroad and career consultancy organization. Vibha, a Harvard alumna, is a successful entrepreneur and believes in helping others chalk out their future careers.

In Episode 23 of House of Experts, we were fortunate to host the Founder of Cocoon Fertility, Dr. Rajalaxmi Walavalkar. She has extensive experience in reproductive medicine and has been trained in India and later in the UK. Her career of academic distinction spans over 21 years. She obtained the internationally respected MRCOG and the Certification of Consultant Training (CCT) from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), London.

In April 2013, Dr Walavalkar co-founded the Cocoon Fertility, it is India’s leading chain of IVF clinics that is committed towards providing an ethical and empathetic experience for to-be parents.

Dr. Rajalaxmi Walavalkar has been helping couples achieve their dream of becoming parents for many years now!
Some excerpts from the interview:

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your early years.

For me my entire childhood was about comic books and star trek. As a child, my mother would have to force me to sit down and study for my exams. I think my first grounding down happened when I finally decided to become a doctor. The day I understood that becoming a doctor requires a lot of hard work, I told myself that it’s high time I stopped procrastinating and started working towards my dreams.

Once I got into MBBS, it was a roller coaster from thereon. I fell in love with every subject. Even though there was not enough time to follow my hobbies or socialise but the entire experience was one hell of a party for me!

2. Do you think it was worth it for you to leave India and go to UK for a specialization?

Absolutely. I can’t thank the English system enough for what all it taught me. The one big difference between the system here in India and UK is that there we are allowed to question the establishment, and they teach you to do so. You not only grow as a doctor but you also grow as a person. You are taught to question and audit your own practice and that’s not a part and parcel of the system here in India. My technical skills come from the Indian practice, here I became an excellent surgeon.

I believe the Indian system made me a good doctor but the English system made me a wise doctor.

3. What are a few tips for a student pursuing an MBBS degree

When you start off you are generally dived into two branches, medical and surgical branches. Places where you operate and places where you don’t. The earlier a student can make up their mind and decide which way they are inclined towards the easier it will be for them to plan out their career. Then pick your subjects accordingly and move forward with your education.

4. What are a few suggestions you would like to give to someone who wants to pursue a specialization such as yours?

I feel it is a great job to do. The satisfaction to be able to tell a couple that the pregnancy test is positive and we are going to go ahead and look at the babies is the most satisfying part of this job. But behind this satisfaction, it takes years and years of hard work. I believe the learning never stops here, we learn from every patient that comes into the clinic. You have to be ready to work extremely hard and always be prepared to expect the unexpected here.

We’re really grateful to Dr. Rajalaxmi for sharing her journey and valuable learnings with us.

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