Dr. Parul Prasad: A Beacon of Hope in Psychiatry

“If you ever feel stuck, choose your peace of mind over everything else”- said by Dr. Parul Prasad, who is a psychiatrist, Director of Trident Super Speciality Neuropsychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, Lucknow, Associate Professor at Career Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Lucknow and consultant psychiatrist at Mindwise Clinic Lucknow, with an experience of more than 10 years. 

This article tells about the life of Dr.Parul Prasad, her challenges and achievements, and what motivates her to pursue a career as a Psychiatrist.  Her journey was marked by her dedication and commitment to improving the lives of many people.

Introduction:

Dr. Parul Prasad, a Psychiatrist with superspecialization in Geriatric Psychiatry, MBBS, MD, DNB, FGMH, after completing her MD from the premier Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi,  pursued her fellowship in Geriatric Mental Health from the reputed King George's Medical University, Lucknow. Currently, she is the director of Trident Superspeciality Neuropsychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre, Lucknow, which is North India's first superspeciality neuropsychiatric hospital in the private sector. Dr. Parul is also working as an Associate professor in Psychiatry at the Career Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Lucknow. She has been practicing as a Consultant Psychiatrist at Mindwise Clinic, Jankipuram for the last seven years.

Dr. Parul grew up watching her father who is a doctor and has always been her source of inspiration. Coming from a very humble background, his dedication, hard work, and honesty towards his work have always fascinated Dr. Parul. He instilled in her the spirit of working for the poor and the underprivileged. So, ever since,  she has always wanted to be a doctor to serve the community, and there was never a plan B for her.

She cracked All India PMT in 2007 and got into a government medical college where she pursued MBBS.  She excelled in academics as well as extracurricular activities. Then she cracked the NEET PG examination in 2014 and got into one of the best institutes in the country for Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, from where she completed her MD. Following this, she was selected to the reputed King George's Medical University where she earned a Fellowship in Geriatric Mental Health. 

Dr. Parul started a super specialty Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Lucknow which is North India's first superspeciality neuropsychiatric hospital in the private sector, in partnership in 2022.

Challenges and Achievements:

As a female, people have a lot of apprehensions about female doctors. People are hesitant to offer good opportunities. Patients have a biased approach towards female psychiatrists. The same goes for Dr. Parul, but her knowledge, skills, and dedication to the work finally paid off. Even after all these challenges she did not forget her core values which are hard work, dedication, and passion for the work. For Dr.Parul, Psychiatry is her life and soul. 

Talking about her significant achievements, she believed that starting her hospital which is one of its kind in North India with world-class infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities, is a proud moment for her.

Apart from opening the hospital, her other achievements include:

• She won the Women Excellence Achievement Award in 2020 in the field of Healthcare. 
• She won the NTN Zindagi Award in 2023 for her contribution to the field of mental health.
• She won the Award for the best paper at CEZIPS 2016.

Personal Insights:

For Dr.Parul, personal and professional life are equally important and neither takes precedence over the other. As a mental health professional, she knows the importance of mental well-being for the smooth functioning of overall well-being. So, she makes sure to go on vacations at regular intervals which not only recharges her body and mind but gives that extra fuel to keep going for the next few months. Also, she barely uses a mobile phone while she is at home rather she spends time with family. She stays connected with friends and meets them frequently. She spends her Sundays exclusively with her family. Once at work, Dr. Parul is 100% into it and then doesn't let any other thoughts bother her. She added, “It's difficult, but with time you learn to compartmentalize your personal and professional lives”.

Impact and Vision:

Dr.Parul believes in leadership that “People follow you because they love and respect you rather than being forced to do so”. She is very considerate and accommodating as a leader. She gives enough space for the other person to express themselves freely, to let more ideas flow, and to work with a feeling of belongingness. There should not be any bitterness and animosity as it interferes with interpersonal work performance. She believes in providing a positive and conducive environment for everyone around so that they can flourish and thrive , helping in the progress of the company.

Dr. Parul is currently working on expanding mental health care services to reach those in the rural parts of the state by establishing satellite centers so that mental healthcare is affordable and accessible to all. They have also collaborated with various NGOs, schools, and colleges to generate awareness about mental disorders and have been organizing mental health camps to extend specialist services to the needy.

Dr. Parul plans to open branches of her hospital, dedicated to patients with mental illness in various other parts of the country where patients with mental illness are treated holistically with integrity, dignity, and care by a team of leading Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Yoga therapists, Psychosocial workers, Psychiatric nurses, and world-class infrastructure at the most affordable rates.

Conclusion:

Dr. Parul advises young women who want to be doctors, that being a doctor requires a lot of commitment, hard work, and round-the-clock availability. You're never off duty as a doctor. So, pursue this field only if you're passionate about serving the people and not for material gains because it's only the intent that differentiates a "doctor" from a "good doctor".

She added, “If you're passionate about being a doctor, every day is a blessing for you but if there are some other motives, you'll struggle each and every single day. So choose your profession honestly”.