A lifelong prescription for fun

If you thought a doctor’s life is all about patients, stethoscopes, syringes and being on-call at odd hours, let us introduce you to some cool doctors in Chennai. They are at your beck and call when you are ill, but can also entertain you with their creativity and quirky wit. With secondary professions in fields like radio jockeying, theatre and dance, these doctors know how to juggle their round-the-clock trade and their artistic pursuits, with élan.

From 6 pm-9 pm on weekdays,  Dr. Tausif Ahmed Thangalvadi, consultant and head — acute services emergency department of the Sundaram Medical Foundation hosts the ‘Evening Show’ at an English radio station after seeing patients in the morning. His entry into the medium of radio was through divine intervention, says the popular host. “I was always known for my public speaking skills. It continued into adulthood, where I am asked to host conferences. A new radio station was opening, so I went for an interview,” he says. He made it clear to the management that in an emergency he would have to rush back. “I was sure that they wouldn’t hire me, but to my surprise they did,” says the multi tasker who has been on air for seven years.

The doctor has had his share of surprises when people identify him by his voice. “I was on a flight, when a youngster came down with vertigo. I treated him and one of his friends actually recognised me. At times patients in the emergency room get excited when they identify me,” he says.

Dr. Yohan Chacko, a dentist by day, has been part of plays and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Dirty Dancing, Tuqhlaq and And Then There Were None. Recalling his first stage appearance, “Someone had dropped out of a play and the  director asked me to step in. There has been no looking back,” says the medical professional who has also acted in popular online videos such as All About the Taste and Pink Lungi. His acting skills even earned him the nickname ‘YouTube Doctor’.

Linguaphile Dr. A Arun Kumar, a general physician, teaches French and Spanish and has acted in a short film too. “I had a stammering problem in school so I developed a methodology that would make learning languages a fun exercise,” says the doctor who teaches Spanish at Instituto Hispania and provides soft skill training in French to colleges and language centers.

Bharathnatyam dancer and dentist Vanditha Mohan has been a TV host since her college days. “Apart from anchoring shows, I teach dance at my school, ‘Arts and Minds’. I love dancing, so when the opportunity of hosting a show on classical dance was offered to me, I took it up,” she says. She currently hosts Star Junction on Puthuyugam channel. “Many of my patients who meet me at the clinic tell me that I should take off my glasses and dress up as I do on TV,” she laughs.