Doctor Visharn Sathiyakumar of Waikato is one of eight doctors to participate in a short-form documentary series called 'I am a Doctor'.
Two Waikato resident medical officers are starring in a short-form documentary series that spotlights medical practitioners across Aotearoa.
Visharn Sathiyakumar and Nina Luo, both of Hamilton, are part of the series called I Am a Doctor, which was funded with a grant from the New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association.
In his episode, Sathiyakumar takes people behind the scenes of what life’s like for him in radiation oncology while Luo, in her episode, talks about life as a neonatal intensive care doctor, navigating the balance of caring for vulnerable newborns while reassuring anxious parents.
Talking to the Waikato Herald, Sathiyakumar describes himself as a science and tech geek in his fourth year of being a doctor.
He said his passion for medicine started when he was 11, after his grandfather died of lung cancer.
Sathiyakumar said his grandfather went through “quite a turbulent journey” before the cancer took his life.
“I was fairly young but still somewhat old enough ... I was very attached to him and I was shocked by everything.”
Going through that experience, he said he “knows it affects people emotionally”.
In high school, he volunteered at the Cancer Society’s Lion Lodge in Hamilton, and being “in that space” made him want to do more.
“I thought that being in that field and able to help people in that would be something really powerful.”
With that in mind, working in the medical field had been a no-brainer for Sathiyakumar.
He said it was a career that was “intellectually stimulating and interesting”, but still allowed him to talk to people.
Two years ago, as part of his training to become a doctor, he spent some time in radiation oncology and he hadn’t looked back since - although he was working almost 55-hour weeks.
However, he said it was in a way that was a “different flavour to ED”.
As part of his job, he talked to patients and conducted thorough consultations, but he was also able to “put some music on” and use his passion for physics, maths and computing.
Sathiyakumar specialises in using advanced imaging to map tumours and plan for further treatments, and radiotherapy to treat cancer and non-cancerous diseases.
He said being one of eight New Zealand doctors to participate in the documentary series had been a “fascinating experience” and a “peek behind the scenes”.
He says based on his experience, people who don’t work in the medical field often pictured being a doctor as like what is shown on the popular fictional American medical series Grey’s Anatomy - which wasn’t the reality.
This is why he believed the I am a Doctor documentary series was “powerful”.
“As resident doctors who aren’t specialists yet but in training ... there are a lot of hours and time ... you literally live at the hospital. It’s [about] being able to show that to people.”
Sathiyakumar said he had a good work balance, but finding time for himself when he was off the tools could be “difficult”.
“It’s not until you have a conversation with someone who’s not in medicine ... and realise they have the time in life to seek more hobbies.
“That’s when you start wondering how much time you put into the work,” he says.
He considered medicine his “hobby”, but he did try to escape “from the noises of the pinging and beeping of machines” too.
He enjoys meditating, going for walks, or spending time with his friends and family.
“I find it’s probably what I need the most when I’m very stressed, especially during exam times, because you’re working these hours, and also having to study.”
I Am a Doctor was directed by Jens Hertzum and produced by Sarah Kinniburgh with production company Gather Productions.
It was made with support from the New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association.
New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association president Rosa Tobin Stickings said resident medical officers were “crucial for the future” of New Zealand’s healthcare.
“They’re actively shaping patient care every day,” she said.
“Their knowledge, expertise, and acts of service can make a huge impact in someone’s life, often at the most difficult moments.”
So, the series aimed to build greater awareness and understanding of the medical officers’ roles.
I am a Doctor can be viewed online at iamadoctor.nz.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.