Dr. Nitin Mukerji (ISC1994)

I am currently a Specialist Registrar in Neurosurgery at Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. I completed my basic medical training (MBBS) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and specialized in Opthalmology from the same institute. I then went on to train as a Neurosurgeon specializing in anterior cranial base surgery, vascular neurosurgery and surgery of brain tumours in England which I will complete in the near future. I also am a keen researcher and am en route to completing an MSc in Applied Statistics from the Sheffield Hallam University. I also am a reviewer for a few international journals in Neuro-oncology and a member of the Section of Tumours of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons that develops treatment guidelines for brain tumours.

What I learnt at school has helped me to be a stronger person and with hard work and dedication I am trying to work my way to the top. The most important thing I learnt at school was the importance of defeat and how to cope with it and this has helped me all along. I was given the freedom to study at my own pace and as per my own abilities, in times when such a thing was unheard of, without any expectations in return. Hopefully the trust that the school had in my abilities at that time is reflected in what I have achieved so far. I have a special regard for The Modern always and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. Thanks for supporting me in the best and most positive manner when I needed it.

The things I remember the most of my school is the recognition of my abilities and the freedom I was given to study according to my own plans. I also fondly remember the books that were always acquired for the school library on my suggestions. As an institution The Modern always has a special place in my heart because this is where my ascent started and the journey is not over yet. I aspire to achieve bigger goals in future and hopefully I will be able to make my school proud.

Update as on February 11, 2017

Since the last time I wrote to the school (a while back!!),  I have been Consultant Neurosurgeon in the UK for a few years after completing the FRCS in Neurosurgery. I was also a Clinical Instructor in Stanford University for a year. I specialise in cerebrovascular neurosurgery (surgery of the blood vessels of the brain, aneurysms, arterio-venous malformations) and happen to be among the very few neurosurgeons who undertake the EC-IC bypass operations in the UK. I have had excellent results with this operation over the years and indeed with other operations that I perform. I have also had my fair share of bad results. I serve as the associate editor of the British Journal of Neurosurgery and an international executive member of the Section on Tumours of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. I am a reviewer for several international journals and a reviewer for European research  grant applications. I lead my departmental research team, collaborate actively with Durham University and the clinical provision of cerebrovascular services. I have published extensively in my field and have been an invited speaker at conferences as well.

The role of the school in all this: the foundation on which the building stands – simply said. Life isn’t about a day or year, it is a long haul – the school prepares us for the ups and downs, the highs and the lows. In a surgical career, things go wrong, patients die and the resilience and ability to deal with these events and carry on working is built up very early in life, in school. I am always grateful for the strong foundation that the school gave me, the freedom and the space the school gave me and all the books, facilities and teachers that the school gave me. Hopefully I have built on it and will continue to do so.