From Small Town Roots to Global Recognition: Dr. Kim Vaiphei's Inspirational Path

“Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows”, a Native American proverb, that inspired Dr. Kim Vaiphei. Dr.Kim has an experience of more than 40 years in the field of Pathology. She is an M.D. in Pathology, Emeritus Professor (NAMS, India), Ex Head of the Department of Histopathology, PGIMER, Chandigarh. Specialize in disease pathobiology. 

She comes from a small place called Manipur and has achieved many goals by hitting the rooftop as a high-level Medical Educationist and Researcher in one of the top institutes of the country. She believes in living a simple and down-to-earth lifestyle. She said, “Have seen the world. I do not believe in status . Be yourself. One should be comfortable in your domain to be able to perform well by putting your best foot forward”.

This article delves into her life, her struggles, her career, and her achievements. Her journey is a powerful reminder that with the right values, dedication, and a commitment to lifelong learning, one can achieve excellence and make a lasting impact on the world.

Introduction:

Dr. Kim Vaiphei, a Pathologist, who has been an educationist for medical students concentrating on postgraduate and super-specialty medical subjects for more than 40 years. She is presently working in Pathology at the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Mohali. She is drawn to this field as she feels empathy for human beings and wants to serve the community, especially the needy and the public who do not have access to conventional medical facilities for common ailments.

Right from childhood, Dr. Kim and her brothers and sister were lucky to have parents who were career-oriented and who had supported them by creating an ambiance for a good education within their capabilities in those days. She had been very active in sports during school days where she was selected to represent the state in badminton. She had to drop this opportunity as she was getting into school final to get ready for MBBS.

Challenges and Achievements:

The biggest challenge she faces is her ambition of pathology. Since the new technology keeps coming up, she has to remain up to date with the fast-growing scientific research information, handling the heavy routine workload and academics, with the intention of delivering early diagnostic reports to the patient.

Talking about her most significant achievement, she said “To pinpoint a particular activity as achievement is difficult when one does so many things side by side in day-to-day life as an accomplished professional and medical educationist and researcher”.  She is also a teacher who is taking and playing an important role in producing world-class medical Professionals in almost all the specialist and superspecialist subjects, which may be mentioned as one of the most satisfying and gratifying contributions.

From her school days, she has always been an active leader, which continues during her faculty position, and for that, she has received many awards and recognition. Dr.Kim had been elected as Secretary for the PGIMER Faculty Association, Vice-President, and  President of the Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists. On the academic front, she has received many national and international awards and invited speakers and chairpersons of various academic organisations. She is a Fellow of the International Union of Cancer Control (WHO), a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences India, a Fellow of the Indian College of Pathologists, and an Emeritus Professor of the National Academy of Medical Sciences India. Besides completing enumerable projects funded by the parent Institute and publishing the research outcomes in various International and National medical journals of repute, she has also completed numerous extramural projects funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, and the Department of Biotechnology India.

Personal Insights:

Dr. Kim deeply believes in Integrity, transparency, and hard work that was taught by her parents. These principles have guided her throughout her life including her career and her personal life.

She believes that good routine planning, an early rise in the morning followed by exercise and/or 30 to 40-minute walk to keep fit and fresh for the rest of the day, drinking plenty of water accompanied by good quality snacks and diet, she believes and enjoy eating good quality tasty food – both vegan and non-vegan, in moderate, find time to relax doing what one enjoys, and communicate and spend time with friends and family regularly, through these things one can easily balance work-life.

Impact and Vision:

Dr. Kim believes that good health is a basic fundamental necessity in life to be able to have an impact on anything. She believes that honesty and transparency should be present in every segment of life. Her vision for the future includes that there should be quality education and easy accessibility and availability of medical help to all people irrespective of their caste, gender, or their status in society.

Dr. Kim's leadership style is very simple. As a leader, she thinks that there should be an inclusive policy for all.  She believes in appropriate utilization, transparency, and accountability of all available resources, equally distributed amongst the mankind with kindness and humbleness.

Talking about her current initiative she is planning to set up a new institute and departments at Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Science.

Conclusion:

Dr. Kim encourages young women to achieve their dreams. She says “Go ahead, do what you want to achieve in your life. It is important to remember that becoming a doctor is a commitment to lifetime, never-ending, and non-compromising deeds that deal with human life. A good training supported by good knowledge is the basic essential quality”.

Dr. Kim’s journey from a small town, in Manipur to becoming a distinguished medical professional and educator is a story of determination, hard work, and unwavering commitment. Her achievements serve as an inspiration to many, demonstrating that with the right values and dedication, one can overcome any obstacle and achieve great heights.