Dr Farzan Kamdin (BPTH, HCPC)
Hello everyone, I am Farzan Kamdin, former general secretary of KJSCOPT. I hope you are all keeping well and kudos on cruising through your academics post the pandemic.
To start with my journey, it’s one which began in 11th grade, when I asked my dad who was the guy running onto the cricket pitch to attend an injured player while watching the IPL. From that moment on and after seeing my own brother suffer from an ACL injury, I had made up my mind of becoming a sports physiotherapist.
I hold KJSCOPT in high regards for laying down the foundation for me and further through my clinical and on field work experience of 3 years I have managed to enhance those skills. I started with working for a MSK/Sports injury private clinic in Mumbai and now currently working part time as a physiotherapist with Great Britain American football and local English Rugby teams whilst completing my full time masters course of MSc Sports & Exercise Medicine at Leeds Beckett University.
My advice for all you future rockstar physios is:
• Set a goal and work towards it. Be patient and enjoy the journey rather than only thinking of the final destination (Safar Suhana hai Manzil se bhi!?)
• To anyone wanting to be a sports physiotherapist, I recommend taking at least 2 years of work experience before enrolling for your masters course. This helps refine your professional as well as soft skills.
• Our field has a variety of opportunities and countries to work in, explore and weigh your options, don’t just blindly follow the crowd. Stand out and make your own mark.
Dr Ritika Save (BPTH)
A small strip of deoxyribonucleic acid wrapped in protein brought the world as we know it to a standstill. COVID-19 was a game-changer, a black swan event like no other. For months, I sat at home as did many others of my generation. But finally, we were summoned back to college as interns and it felt all the more special, to be able to do what I had been trained to do: to work with a recalcitrant set of muscles, to understand its relationship to the body, to look at a human being in the fullest sense of the word and to take that human being back into the enjoyment of mobility and motion to the best of our combined ability. Those in their sunset years seemed particularly affected but it was surreal to watch them recover with confidence and rediscover their connection with space, balance and gravity through physiotherapy. I was more than exhilarated to treat these patients without internal medicine but with hands-on techniques. This redoubled my pursuit of physiotherapy.
With the hope of mastering my skills, I am currently studying at the University of Tampa, Florida, USA and pursuing my master’s degree in Exercise and Nutrition Science. Being an internationally certified Yoga instructor, I am also trying to dive deep into the world of Yoga and
understand how it can help in the rehabilitation stages. Along with this, my master’s program allows me to practically use the strength and conditioning fundamentals. At present, I am in the process of learning and applying what works best for a client or patient and would want to
apply my learnings from Somaiya and my current university in real world situations. Being an international student here in the US, I have started to grasp the different perspectives that the people who belong to our profession have worldwide while being a Research Assistant at the Human Performance Lab at the University.
K J Somaiya had not only kept me in a safe bubble for 4.5 years but also taught me to handle situations which were not always in my favor. I got the opportunity to be the General Secretary in the year 2019 and it enabled me to socially connect and interact with so many students. I will lifelong cherish the fond memories and the bonds I made in the “Aangan”, be it amidst the chaos during exams or during breaks or during the rainy season and I am wholeheartedly thankful to all the professors, non-teaching staff, dadas, kakas and my batchmates for making the Somaiya experience of mine worthwhile!
Dr Hriday Shah (BPT, MPT in Neurosciences with specialization in Adult Neurology and Neurosurgery)
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you
to achieve it” – This wonderful quote by Paulo Coelho has always inspired
me.
Greetings to all, I am Dr. Hriday Shah (PT), BPT batch of 2015-2020 and
I have recently completed my post graduation in MPT – Neurosciences. It
was an honor when I received the invitation to write for my Alma mater’s
magazine as an Alumni. Thank you to all responsible for this.
Currently, I am working on an innovation along with my brother and also
preparing for my future endeavors.
About my journey in Somaiya, I’d say it was amazing, like an adventure. I have
laughed, cried, danced, sang, studied, bunked, grown personally and
professionally. Somaiya has given me the foundation that helped me be
the person I am today. It made me strong enough to face the world
as a physiotherapist. Many a times, I hear people complain about college
life, saying that they could have done much more, but in my case, it was
the best experience I could have had. Learning in Somaiya was
memorable, one of the best decisions I ever took. Going on unofficial
college trips, Antarang, SPL-GSPL, paper presentation and case
presentation competitions, making the short film were some of the
opportunities Somaiya gave me and I will cherish these wonderful
memories throughout my life. Shifting from the old building to the new
building was one of the biggest changes I had encountered but that
change was like a whole new growth point for me. These experiences
have taught me how to lose gracefully, and also enjoy winning. They have
taught me how to have faith in my ideas and to believe in myself. They
have taught and prepared me to face the real world, and strive for
excellence no matter what happens!
In the end, I would like to share a word of advice for the junior batches,
which is – enjoy the journey, learn, have fun, party, study, instead of
worrying about the end destination. One fine day, each and every one of
you will graduate but the experiences that you take with you in that journey
will make the difference.
Thank you to the entire faculty of Somaiya, the non-clinical staff, junior
friends, senior friends and my batchmates. The journey would have been
incomplete without them.
And I miss Somaiya!
Dr Shreyal Parikh (BPTH, DPT)
I graduated from Bachelor of Physiotherapy in 2019. I’m currently working in the United States as a physical therapist. I did my DPT online from Arcadia university all through the pandemic, and then recently graduated. I also did a course in Maitland, which made me fall in love with manual therapy, so I work in a musculoskeletal outpatient setting.
K J Somaiya College of Physiotherapy gave me an opportunity to challenge myself when it came to being a physiotherapist. It also allowed me to shine through my various interests such as writing, organizing events and leading a brilliant team during Antarang. My time as the head of the cultural department taught me patience, understanding and showed me how incredibly talented everyone is. Four and a half years were so long that I became friends with some of the professors, and some of my friends became professors!
It was an exhilarating experience, which gave me lifelong friends and beautiful memories.
My time in K J Somaiya College of Physiotherapy taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to have set backs and it’s okay to fail. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, it just means that life is giving you another chance to do it right.
Dr Mayuri Khatavkar (MPTH) Assistant Professor, Dept of Community Physiotherapy, MGM College of Physiotherapy)
I am Dr Mayuri Khatavkar (PT) from UG batch of 2011-2016 and I would like to share my testimony for my beloved college.
First of all, I want to really thank all my teachers who moulded this raw clay in a beautiful way. I am more thankful that each year they try to understand students like me who are wandering in the dark and get them on the brightest path!
Talking about my undergraduate years, well I can just say, we learnt and got our base strong due to our skilled, efficient and supportive faculty and a nurturing environment. We got good patient exposure and we were under the supervision of experts. I being a winter batch candidate never felt demotivated because of our wonderful faculties who always supported and helped me to come out with flying colors. Previously my goal was to just finish Bachelor of Physiotherapy, but I was motivated by our dynamic faculties. I am happy to say that I have pursued Masters in Community Physiotherapy and am also almost completing 2.5 years in Academics.
Yes, I am a Master of Community Physiotherapy, many people used to look at me with a huge question mark – Did you choose this specialty as a last option? Well, a big NO! I am a Community Physiotherapist by my passion and our own Dr Mayur sir is my driving force to excel in this specialty and further in academics.
Well, words would fall short if asked to define Community Physiotherapy. But still I can sum it up as a specialty inclusive of all age groups (from preconception to geriatrics) and all occupations for their further rehabilitation as well as working towards injury prevention and health promotion. It’s working for people by going within people and not to forget – by involving people. And this is well imbibed on my mind by my own alma mater!
As I was developing as a physiotherapist by seeing all my professors and learning from them, each day was like a life lesson. This was indeed pioneering for me as an academician. To be dynamic and chase your dreams and never leave your goal – this is the belief that I’ve treasured from my undergraduate years.
Today I can say I am a proud physiotherapist, an academician and a clinician. I do often visit the college to get that positive vibe and would always love to be in contact with the college as an alumni.
I am grateful to be part of such a beautiful family!
Dr Elton John Menezes (BPTH)
Hello everyone, I am Elton. I’m presently pursuing my Masters in Neuro physiotherapy in KEM Hospital.
I have been in the place you are right now, I sat on the same benches that you sitting on right now. I didn’t land up in physiotherapy by choice, but eventually I started developing an interest for it.
My journey in K J Somaiya College of Physiotherapy has been one of the best things in my life, where I grew not only in terms of knowledge and skills but also as a person. Somaiya truly moulded me into the strong person I am today. Today as I am out of the protective bubble of Somaiya, I realize how important it is to have the right set of skills to make a mark in our profession.
“Success comes to those who work hard, and stays with those who don’t rest on the laurels of the past.”
Life is full of twists and turns. Everyone has to struggle in this world to overcome every obstacle in the way to success. We live today in a world that is very different from the one we grew up in, the one we were educated in. The world today is changing very quickly into an extremely competitive place. Everyone in this world wants to be very famous and successful in their life.
“A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the whole heat of the furnace to become porcelain.”
Hard work makes a person better prepared to face adverse situations. Hard work helps an average student become extraordinary, it helps the lowest reach the highest.
On this note, I wish you all the best, may success be with you always. Keep learning and keep growing.
Glint 2022 