Beyond the ER- Anuradha Pandey's path in heartbeats and high altitudes | MEDICUS 2025 Issue 1

Dr Anuradha Pandey // Credit: Norfaezah Abdullah, Duke-NUS

Beyond the ER: My path in heartbeats and high altitudes
By Dr Anuradha Pandey (Class of 2015, Duke-NUS); Consultant, Department of Emergency Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital; Clinical Tutor at Duke-NUS; and President, Duke-NUS Medical Alumni Association

The call to the resuscitation room for a breathless child is not uncommon.

However, on this particular night, the appearance of the boy in front of me rang the alarm bells. He appeared pale, diaphoretic and with very laboured breathing.

As the senior on duty, I rushed to assess him—but found no clear signs of abnormal breathing sounds nor patterns.

I struggled to pin down what exactly was happening to him. As we shifted our gears to prioritise stabilising our patient, one of the nurses alerted me to the extensive bruising down the patient’s back and trunk.

I could sense the worry written all over her face; with a sinking heart and rising anger, I wondered if this was a case of non-accidental injury.

We attempted to gather more history from the caregiver who had brought him in, but our patient continued to deteriorate and required immediate medical stabilisation with intubation and transfer to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit for further management.

I had been with Children’s Emergency for barely a year when this patient came through our doors, and I still find myself thinking about him every now and then. I am happy to report that he had a positive outcome and was discharged home to safe hands.

This case also reminded me about the complexities of a doctor’s role and responsibilities. Beyond just a medical diagnosis, sometimes probing deeper into a patient’s living condition and environment can help deliver more holistic care to this vulnerable patient population.

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A joy to work with children

But not every day is filled with heartbreak. In fact, working with children often brings unexpected joy.

I enjoy being on the frontline and the diagnostic challenges of a fast-paced emergency department.

For the most part, our young patients have conditions that are quite common, such as fever, trauma-related injuries and the like. It’s fulfilling to be able to treat them quickly so they can go home.

Plus, my favourite part about my work is my interaction with the children.

One of my favourite moments was when a child brought his little doctor’s kit and toy stethoscope into the consult room. He asked if he could examine me, and in mock seriousness I asked: “We do need a lot of help in the hospital. Can you stay and help us?”

He wisely declined, but the memory often brings a smile to my face.

No doubt, the practice of medicine can be discouraging at times. We do encounter caregivers who raise their voices at us, their frustrations and fears boiling over.

But we do understand that most of these behaviours are driven by the stress of their situations. By having open communications and a shared goal of doing our best for their children, we can ease their burden and change their perceptions.

Treasured friendships in paediatrics // Credit: Courtesy of Anuradha Pandey

A desire to help

I have enjoyed working with children since my youth – at the age of 15, I cold-called several charities to seek out volunteer opportunities with children.

This allowed me to spend my weekends in a meaningful way, interacting with and giving tuition to children recovering from cancer in a day-care centre at Assisi Hospice as well as working with children at the Riding for the Disabled Association.

It was during these sessions that I saw firsthand, the health challenges they grappled with and their determination in surmounting them.

It was in those quiet moments—helping a child with cancer through a tough day or guiding a child with disabilities—when I realised that I wanted to continue with this work. This wasn’t just volunteering. This was my calling. Medicine was something I could do lifelong as a means to help people.

A challenging transition to medical school

I first pursued an undergraduate life sciences degree before enrolling in Duke-NUS.

Whilst awaiting news regarding my application to Duke-NUS, I had received another offer to pursue a Master’s Degree under the aid of a pharmaceutical company. I briefly considered this opportunity, but once the email came from Duke-NUS, my decision was a no-brainer.

The transition wasn’t too drastic—it was still related material—but my first year in medical school was a challenge with so much content to cover.

I vividly remember my first couple of weeks at Duke-NUS as a first-year medical student—everything was so new and scary, and yet equally exciting.

Fortunately, there were seniors who so readily offered their help, whether it was study tips or just finding our way around.

I vividly remember my first couple of weeks at Duke-NUS as a first-year medical student—everything was so new and scary, and yet equally exciting.

Despite the demanding schedule of medical school, I managed to set aside time for volunteering initiatives, including being active in Project DOVE, short for Duke-NUS Overseas Volunteering Expedition, a student-led overseas medical mission.

One of the expeditions included travelling to Chiang Mai with fellow students and faculty to provide medical care in villages.

Language was an issue, but the villagers were always curious and eager to learn. To me, this was also an opportunity to learn more about other communities—I respected their simple way of life, as well as their genuine and sincere appreciation for our help.

After graduating, I joined the Duke-NUS Medical Alumni (DNMA) association, so that I could continue to give back to the community that poured so much into my education and training.

One of our DNMA meetings // Credit: Courtesy of Anuradha Pandey

I was elected President of the DNMA in 2021. In my role with the DNMA, my aim is to build more pathways for our alumni to connect back to our School, as well as find opportunities to help our students.

One avenue is through our signature event, the Duke-NUS Dialogues, where we bring together leaders, faculty, alumni and students to explore a pressing healthcare topic. It’s a good opportunity, too, for students and alumni to interact with one another, and to get to know our leaders better.

My hope is for the alumni association to continue to build these bridges with our alma mater and our students, and at the same time find opportunities through workshops and talks for our alumni members to hone their skills and develop further expertise to help them in their various roles at work.

Taking it all in stride

It’s a lot to deal with—work and alumni activities—but I try and take it in my stride. Literally, because exercise is my mechanism to cope with stress. To me, it’s a “non-negotiable” and gives me dedicated time to switch off from everything else.

I fit my workouts into the morning because I’m usually on the evening shifts and work ends late. I do a mix of strength and cardio exercises, followed by a run if I’m up to it.

Not forgetting to have fun along the trail // Credit: Anuradha Pandey

Not forgetting to have fun along the trail // Credit: Courtesy of Anuradha Pandey

These efforts seemed to have paid off when I went on a two-week hike in November 2023 along the Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas.

Typically, we spent five to six hours a day on the trail, with our longest day being a 12-hour hike.

It was challenging to be exposed to such high altitudes—at its highest point of 5,416m, it’s roughly 18 Eiffel Towers above sea level.

Nevertheless, it’s one of the best things I’ve done, and no photo can capture the beauty of the landscape we were in. It was truly a blessing to be surrounded by these majestic mountains and silvery streams.

At the summit! // Credit: Courtesy of Anuradha Pandey

Persevering through the tough times

I find an uncanny resemblance in treks like this and my journey in medicine.

There will be days that are trying. The moment I felt the most discouraged was in 2021 when I failed my exit examinations to be certified as a specialist. The exams were a culmination of six years of training so I was pretty down at that time.

I looked to my mentors for guidance and arrived at an understanding that failures are just a part and parcel of life. What matters is how I choose to approach it, learn from my mistakes and then try again.

So I approached my additional months of rotation with a vengeance, honing my knowledge and skills. In hindsight, I don’t regret failing at all. It gave me a stronger foundation and confidence for my subsequent years working in the hospitals.

To our future doctors: your journey through medicine will be peppered with failures and challenges, but if you hold your “why” close to your heart, you will be able to face most adversities.

I also cannot stress the importance of investing in the beginning and building a strong foundation. Do not be afraid to ask for help, seek opportunities to learn from others and find mentors to guide you along your journey.

With this, I hope that our medical students will be able to bravely forge their own paths on the road ahead, and become successful and capable doctors.

As told to Alice Chia, Senior Media & Content Specialist