In 2022, dentist Tejal Doshi was granted a three-month sabbatical. She explains how this allowed her to return to work with renewed energy, purpose and vigour.
It was winter pre-COVID in 2019 when I heard some inner whispers crying out for some ‘time out’. As a conditioned millennial from a high achieving background, I had been accustomed not to pay too much heed to them and continue plodding along on the treadmill of life. I was programmed to stay focused on my professional development, always looking forwards and working towards ‘the next thing’.
I am sure some of the readers can relate to this. The pandemic gave us all an opportunity to reflect and that is where my little whispers started to become louder, or perhaps I could just hear them a bit better?
Fast forward a couple of years, I had agreed on a three-month sabbatical from my places of work. This was something I thought would be impossible to organise as I had not come across anyone managing this in my profession without quitting their jobs. (Lesson: this should not be a reason to stop you! Have the conversations with confidence. More on that later).
Purpose of sabbatical
Ever since I was a dental student, I’d always dreamt of utilising my skill overseas to help communities less fortunate. As part of my sabbatical in summer 2022, I was able to support an initiative in Ladakh. This is a historically very remote Himalayan region – more than 3000m above sea level. It is situated at the very north of India, bordering China on the east and Pakistan on the west.
Even now, during the winter months, rural villages in the region become completely isolated due to the harsh weather conditions making it impossible for residents to access basic healthcare. Unfortunately, there is an epidemic of tooth decay due to refined sugar being so easily accessible and consumed addictively, without the necessary resources and education on oral health disease prevention.
Over the years the project has managed to establish a clinic within a school in the local city Leh, with facilities to provide the full spectrum of general dental care (aside from implants). Treatment is provided to all patients, regardless of age, free of charge.
The project also runs dental camps in various other regions in Ladakh. There is a resident dentist who oversees the operation of the clinic, which helps with continuity of care given that volunteers come and go. Language was not too much of a barrier as most of the patients understand and speak Hindi, which I am familiar with. Some patients only spoke the local language, Ladakhi, but thankfully there was support available to help translate.
Home away from home
My days at the clinic were quite intense as there was not always one-to-one nurse support available which meant I was having to work as a dentist and dental nurse all in one. This was tiring, but I was energised by glancing out the clinic window and seeing the breath-taking view of the snow-capped Himalayan mountains, and knowing that I was contributing to a worthy cause.
I was amazed at the pain threshold and cooperation of the young patients undergoing dental treatment; I really felt that I was treating ‘mini-adults’ as they were so incredibly compliant when receiving treatment under local anaesthesia.
I stayed at a nearby guesthouse with a local family who were so warm and hospitable, it really felt like a home away from home. The evenings were spent enjoying the local food such as ‘momos’ (Ladakhi dumplings) and ‘thukpa’ (Tibetan style noodle soup), star gazing on the terrace (I spotted my first ever shooting star) or playing monopoly deal with the family and other volunteers.
One revelation that may seem obvious now but I didn’t quite appreciate before was that teeth are the same no matter which corner you are in the world. And at their core, humans are also the same, again no matter where you are in the world.
For me, this opportunity helped to reconnect to my core value of serving others and reminded me of the reasons I decided to enter this profession. It can be easy to lose sight of this when engrossed in day-to-day life. It also reminded me how grateful we should be for the healthcare facilities we have here. This was an incredibly humbling and fulfilling experience, knowing the little contribution I made was helping people with genuine need.
Meaningful connections
Taking time out allowed me to evaluate and observe my life from a distance and suddenly decisions that seemed difficult became easy. I knew I had to change my work pattern as it was no longer sustainable for me but cutting back (and letting go) was hard as it felt like a massive step backwards.
Once I was away, I found it much easier to gain clarity, and was able to confidently take the decision to resign from one of my jobs and work part-time. (Lesson: fully trusting yourself, your gut, your intuition, and your inner voice… it really knows what’s best for you.)
Almost two years since I returned, this decision has been hugely transformative and has allowed me space to pursue other interests, nurture meaningful connections, and feel more balanced and grounded. I am more productive when I am at work; I am actually present, more engaged with my patients and have more energy to give to all those around me. (Lesson: less truly can be more.)
In a society where we are constantly over-worked, over-stressed, under-slept and under-nourished, it is absolutely crucial we take out quality time now and again to pause, reflect and recalibrate. This can be in the form of a full-on sabbatical or it can even be a day or part of a day with protected time just for you.
It is not always easy to orchestrate having time off work for reasons that are not maternity or medically related, especially in healthcare. I am happy to share that it was one-to-one coaching sessions that allowed me to really explore the idea of taking a sabbatical further.
So much to gain
At the time I genuinely did not know where to begin. I had been involved with coaching and mentoring new graduates but had not been on the other side of it. Having gone through the process, I have a newfound appreciation for the benefits of career coaching and have continued with this since I have returned. It is such an effective tool to help you realise your goals (both career and otherwise) and thus lead a fulfilling life.
I feel sincerely grateful and immensely privileged for the opportunity I had to further my personal growth. One of the biggest takeaways for me is that we should always have the conviction and strength to follow our individual path; that which feels whole and true for us. If we stay tuned to our authentic selves and follow our bliss, we can’t really go wrong.
I would certainly encourage all healthcare professionals to consider getting involved in similar volunteer projects (either local or abroad), especially if service is one of your core values. There is so much need for your time and energy, and equally there is so much to gain personally and professionally.
I have returned to my current role with renewed energy, purpose and vigour and hope with all my heart that I get to visit this special place again.
To reach out to Tejal, follow her on Instagram at @drtejaldoshi or email [email protected].
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