Ravi Shamaiengar: He’s a Family Man at Heart
Dec 2009
When you think you have a person all figured out, that’s when he or she is most likely to surprise you. When I asked my uncle-in-law, Dr. Ravi V. Shamaiengar—a diagnostic radiologist and The Health Journal’s co-founder and medical editor—to name his favorite place in the world, I expected him to choose from among his vacation destinations over the years—perhaps the tropical beaches of St. John, or the snowy slopes of Utah’s Deer Valley. But rather than reflecting on any one adventure, he said simply: “My favorite place in the world is wherever my family is.” Here are some excerpts from our interview. What he reveals about himself may surprise you, too.
HJ: Why did you decide to become a doctor?
RS: Love of science, love of people. I always wanted to help people. Medicine blends those aspects of my personality.
HJ: What do you like best about your job?
RS: Health has such an impact on people’s lives. Being able to have a positive influence on people’s health is very rewarding.
HJ: For those who don’t know, can you explain what a radiologist does?
RS: Radiologists are medical imaging specialists who use their extensive knowledge of anatomy and disease processes to be consultants to other physicians. We’re kind of in the background. When your doctor says, “We found this on your scan,” most people don’t realize that it was the radiologist who found it and made the diagnosis.
HJ: If you weren’t a radiologist, what would you be?
RS: I would probably be in research, maybe molecular biology or something like that. Somewhere I’d be using a lot of computers and electronics.
HJ: Share your goals for The Health Journal.
RS: First, my hope for the Journal is for it to be a wonderful form of education for the general public, a way of giving back to the community, something that the community doesn’t have to pay for. Second, to provide a forum or an outlet for physicians to get the word out to the public about who they are and what they do. When we were thinking about starting the Journal, those were things that were missing in health care in this area, and probably most of the country. The Journal itself presents so much information in a readable manner—in a fun, informative fashion. Hopefully it excites people about health in general.
HJ: Why publish a free health directory?
RS: When I moved to Williamsburg, my first question was, “Where do I take my family for medical care?” Even being a physician with access to this information, I didn’t know who all was out there. That was why the Health Directory was created.
HJ: The Health Journal is definitely a family-run business—your wife is an editor, your nephew the publisher, your sister the executive director, and myself the editor. What are the pros and cons of working with family?
RS: Part of the fun—and one of the advantages—is that you already have a rapport with the key people involved. Good rapport makes it fun to accomplish something like this together, something we believe is worthwhile and respected. The challenges are just like those in any long-term relationship where you’re very close. It’s often hard to stop talking business and just relax with family.
HJ: With health care reform in the forefront, what are some of the major concerns among physicians?
RS: One of the big problems is the 21 percent [proposed] cut in Medicare payments scheduled to start in January. If that happens, a lot of physicians will either shut their doors period or shut their doors to Medicare patients, which would be a travesty. I just read that the Democrats are putting forth a bill to stop that. Unfortunately the health care reform issue is becoming a political football. But does health care need to be fixed? Yes. The costs are too great right now.
HJ: Some point to unnecessary tests as a major factor in the nation’s out-of-control health care spending. What’s your opinion?
RS: It’s a two-edged sword: There is some excess ordering of tests; then again, I am not sure what I would do if I were the ordering doctor. Based on the extensive amount of information we can provide from one test, most doctors would want their patients to have these tests.
HJ: Finish this sentence: “Before I die, I’d like to…”
RS: Witness my children as successful adults—success meaning that they find careers they love and people they love.