They are siblings, medical doctors, high achiever and are passionate about the profession. However, for Rajeev and his older sister, Vriti Advani, that is where the similarities end. The two, whose parents are Kishore and Philippine Honorary Consul Dr Marie Advani, are successfully pursuing their careers on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Vriti is currently doing a five-year surgical training programme in Springfield, Illinois, in the United States. She completed her surgical residency at the world renown St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, and plans to specialise either in colorectal or plastics and reconstructive surgery.
However, Rajeev, who graduated from Guy's King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine, King's College London, University of London, with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Degree, has opted to remain in the United Kingdom system. He is currently completing his foundation surgical training in London and will soon move on to Manchester for a core programme in surgery. Recently, the Advanis had the rare pleasure of being all together in Trinidad for quality family time. The siblings, who were born in India but grew up in T&T, consider themselves to be "Trini to the bone". They have had vastly different experiences in their medical studies and during their recent brief visit, willingly shared how their current pursuits in the UK and the US vary.
Advantages and disadvantages
According to Rajeev, one of the advantages of studying medicine in the British system is that a student can go straight from secondary school to medical school. In the US, the aspiring medical student must first go through four years of undergraduate study. He recalled: "When I applied to do medicine, I was thinking about the immediate goal of getting a medical degree and not about my post graduate training and career. Now I think the latter should take precedence." One disadvantage in the UK, he revealed, is that the system of specialisation is not as structured. "It is a universal medical health system and so at the end of it, in terms of specialisation, your income is limited." As a result, Vriti, who is in the US, already has a clear idea of her specialisation and what her income is likely to be. Vriti explained: "I trained in Ireland, which is the British system and I did my residency there. Then I wanted a change so I moved to America. "I went to medical school at the age of 18 and I graduated when I was 23, but I did not know when I would finish because, well...every year you had to reapply and see what you could get."
Vriti, who knew she wanted to be a surgeon, said she looked for the best way to achieve her professional goals and decided on the US. "The advantage in America is that you're constantly supervised in everything that you do. The training is very structured and every year you are re-evaluated to determine whether you can go on to the next level," she said. That is so, she pointed out, because of the legal liabilities in the US.
Rajeev said the good thing about practicing as a doctor in the UK is that if you become a consultant, you earn more at that level than in the US. In addition, UK medical doctors get more time to themselves than their US counterparts. While the Trinidad system is largely patterned after the UK, it is not compulsory for medical graduates to train in the public system.
Impressive list of accomplishments
Both have an impressive list of academic accomplishments as proof they have successfully navigated their chosen study paths. Among his numerous awards, he received the coveted Principal of King's College Award for The Greatest Individual Contribution to Student Experience by a Student. This award is presented to one student annually. His older sister obtained her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor or Surgery and Bachelor of Obstetrics LRCP and SI with honours and was in the top ten per cent of her class in the overall final professional exams. During her time in the UK, Vriti gained Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, England and Edinburgh (IMRCS). For both, returning to T&T to practice medicine is an option but for now the focus is on gaining the needed training and experience at the reputable medical institutions where they are currently based.