From a Dreamer to an Achiever

For as long as I can remember, I had always dreamt of and aspired to be a medical professional, and today, I can proudly say that I have achieved my dream! But, that’s not it. From being a trainee to becoming Dr Neha Aggarwal Katta today, ‘purpose’ has been that catalyst that has always strengthened me to fly high. Every trainee who aspires to become a surgeon has a ‘purpose’. As a practising surgeon I believe, you gain everything in surgery, from knowledge to expeditiousness, to contentment and much more! For me, surgery has always meant pursuing the journey of constant learning, seeking novelty in experience and applying the same daily. But, there’s more to it. Every journey has a backstory, and here’s mine…

Ever since I made up my mind to become a medical professional, everything I ever did, was to achieve that dream of mine and make it a reality. I pursued medical education for the same at Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi and since my third year, as a student, I religiously began attending multiple surgeries and began reading voraciously about the different procedures involved. I vividly remember entering the operation theatre for the first time back then, to observe an orthognathic (jaw) surgery procedure, and seeing the way the operating surgeon there was headstrong about the complexities of the procedure, further fueled my desire and recharged my purpose to be like that surgeon one day. Since then, every visit to the operating room has been as exciting as the first one. Soon, thereafter, I also began assisting in surgeries, and my interest and motivation to further excel in this field grew and knew no bounds. Consequently, during my final year, I went on to achieve the Best Student in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Award.

After graduation, I joined Nair Hospital Dental College, Mumbai, in 2012, and there I pursued my training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. I took part in all treatment planning exercises, especially distraction and orthognathic surgeries. I also presented various papers, including my dissertation study on TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) ankylosis at the ICOMS 2017, Hong Kong. This was the cloud 9 moment during my residency, as it gave me the platform to interact with surgeons worldwide. Listening to stalwarts of our field, gave me much-needed global exposure, and what more could I have asked for?

Alongside a full-time residency position, I also began consultation at an Orphanage named Ashadan. By this time, I had completed almost 9 years of training, education and work in government-run institutions. This is when I found my calling and got the impetus to do my part in treating the underprivileged who cannot afford quality treatment.

Most people don’t know that India is one of the main pools of Cleft and Craniofacial deformity patients. But, due to scarcity of resources and following the social stigma attached to it, many patients are left untreated or unsupervised for a speech evaluation, correction of the dentofacial deformity, revision surgeries or rhinoplasties. Therefore, in an attempt to bridge this gap, I took this plunge and began consultation there.

I further went on to pursue my fellowship at Meenakshi Cleft and Craniofacial Centre, Chennai. This fellowship was by far my most rewarding one. There I received the opportunity to interact with numerous patients with craniofacial clefts and other congenital deformities. The more time I spent with them, the more I realized the necessity of providing complete rehabilitation to such patients.

Today, I can proudly say that I have gained confidence through my clinical education and experiences, and I am eager to learn more.

I am now living my dream of being able to practice the complete spectrum of cleft and craniofacial surgery to help such patients lead a healthy life. I continue to partake in education courses, through my involvement with professional organizations such as the AOCMF and IAOMS. Currently, I am also working as a co-author on various case reports relating to maxillofacial pathology and clinical trials. This helps me in keeping abreast with the latest evidence-based medicine and further enhances my understanding of this field.

I intend to contribute to the global network, learn the why’s and hows of different surgery units and ultimately assimilate knowledge to apply the same in my practice.

This is just the beginning, of my striving to be A1 Since Day 1! There’s more in store, coming your way…