honors college, cardiology, nikhil patel, graeme harper, medical talk
February 9, 2021
Dr. Nikhil Patel, chairman of the Academic Board of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) since 2019, is an experienced senior consultant cardiologist, deputy chief of medicine and cardiovascular lead practicing at the East Sussex Healthcare Trust in England. Dr. Patel has more than 20 years of clinical experience and spent time on Tuesday, Feb. 9 sharing his medical insights with about 65 students of the Oakland University Honors College and guests.
“This was a great opportunity for our students, many of whom are very interested in medical careers, to hear from one of the world’s most influential medical education leaders and a very distinguished guest like Dr. Patel,” said Honors College Dean Graeme Harper.
During the presentation and discussion, Dr. Patel offered this advice, “Hope is what makes us human and drives us forward and compassion allows us to treat each other and the world well.”
He also talked about the twice weekly RSM webinars being produced during the pandemic that have addressed COVID-19 topics like treatments, responses, inequalities, vaccination roll out, and how we can share our experiences around the world to better prepare for the future.
Another topic Dr. Patel addressed in response to a student question, was in the area of mental health. He said it is important to acknowledge what the pandemic has done to our mental health, accept the fact that changes due to the virus may have affected us, find coping mechanisms that help us through it and definitely seek medical help if you find yourself struggling with the past year of isolation and anxiety.
When asked about his area of expertise and what he saw on the horizon for heart health breakthroughs, Dr. Patel explained there were a few research projects in the works to expand non-invasive, keyhole and robotic treatment options. However, he was quick to indicate the real room for heart health improvement still lies on the prevention side and delaying heart disease before it starts.
Dr. Patel also shared a lot of historical information about the Royal Society of Medicine in that it was established in 1805 and currently has 55 health sections of interest. He mentioned the organization has produced its own journal since 1809, the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. He talked about the London location with its vast medical library and also mentioned there are 20,000 members from 106 countries in the RSM membership categories of fellows, associates and students. He also emphasized how the organization conducts more than 300 meetings and conferences each year around the world and how that number has actually grown during the pandemic because of current web technology.