By Asia Samachar | Ireland |
Dr Deshwinder Singh Sidhu has come a long way from his childhood in Sentul, a suburb in the north of Kuala Lumpur.
Not too long ago, he found himself representing Ireland as a delegate to the European Forum Psychiatric Trainee’s in Zurich, Switzerland. Looking around, the bhangra-loving budding psychiatric trainee realised he was the only Sikh Punjabi at the conference held at the University Hospital Zurich.
At the forum, he presented on how to support trainee and junior doctors’ mental health. He spoke about the emphasis of burnout, stigma surrounding psychiatry which also impacts the medical profession.
Deshwinder, 33, is currently a Higher Speciality Trainee in Psychiatry in Ireland. He currently works as a Senior Registrar in psychological medicine service at St James’s Hospital, the largest academic teaching hospital in Ireland. The Dublin-based hospital is associated with Trinity College Dublin (TCD). His current work involves assessing and managing psychiatric presentations in the general hospital setting and emergency department. He has a keen interest in medical teaching, academic writing, mental health law and improving peer mental health.
He has been undergoing the National Training Programme in Ireland since 2018. He has trained in the University College Dublin (UCD) Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Deanery for his Basic Speciality Training (BST). He holds membership of both the College of Psychiatrist Ireland (CPsychI) and Royal College of Psychiatrist London (MRCPsych) since 2021. He also holds an International Diploma in Mental Health Law and Human Rights awarded by Indian Law Society in association with World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018. He is currently pursuing his Masters in Arts in Healthcare Management at the Institute of Public Administration Ireland. He has a fond interest in healthcare management and in service development.
Deshwinder’s passion for teaching is displayed in his receipt of the Best Academy Teacher for Medical Students Award bestowed by the University of Galway Ireland this year. He has also served in roles of examiner for medical students in University of Galway Ireland. d as Tutor for medical students.
He has co-authored a chapter “Optimising Patient Care in Psychiatry With Autonomy and Choice” published by the prestigious Routledge “Handbook on Optimizing Patient Care in Psychiatry” earlier this year.
Born in 1990, he was raised in Sentul, where underwent his primary education there. His paternal grandfather Sadhu Singh was well known among fellow “Sentulians”. His parents, Karamjit Singh and Baljit Kaur, still live in Sentul today.
He learnt Gurmukhi at an early age of five, encouraged by his grandfather. He completed his O-levels in Punjabi language and his secondary education at the Victoria Institution. He then went to Bucharest, Romania to study medicine at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
In his free time, Deshwinder enjoys listening to music. He is an avid bhangra dancer, even performing a Irish-Bhangra fusion at a regional psychiatric event. He enjoys composing music and has produced remixes once featured on the BBC Asian Network. Still a bachelor, he enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures. He speaks five languages fluently and believes that learning one another’s language creating a special bond. He emphasises the importance in learning and knowing our mother tongue, Punjabi.
As a Malaysian, currently working in Ireland, Deshwinder is passionate in promoting psychiatry as a career for medical students and young doctors. He encourages young doctors to pursue their dreams and continued speciality training. He is happy to guide and answer questions from any fellow young doctors wishing to pursue medical training in Ireland. He can be contacted at deshwinder_sidhu@hotmail.com
RELATED STORY:
I am learning new things everyday, says Sikh geoscientist (Asia Samachar, 11 June 2023)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
