While doing my training in internal medicine (in the UK), I had the opportunity to work with a consultant physician who had an interest in rheumatology. During this period, I conducted regular rheumatology clinics with him and, with this exposure, my interest in rheumatology developed and, along with it, the desire to commit myself to it.

I had gone abroad with the intention of completing my training. I wanted to return to India; my wife, Vidya, too wanted to return to India. Though learning and training never cease (I am still learning), when we felt that our primary objective had been achieved, we returned home.

IRA was very much in existence when I returned to India, and this was entirely due to the efforts of our seniors and stalwarts. The official address was a requisite for officially registering IRA as a society, which happened several years later. However initially, membership to the IRA was rather small and members were mostly physicians with an interest in rheumatology, rather than committed rheumatologists. Over the years, there has been an increased awareness about the specialty. With the recognition of DNB rheumatology as a super-specialty and more centers offering a DM in rheumatology, there are now more young, enthusiastic, committed rheumatologists. This is extremely satisfying.

It is indeed gratifying to know that you think so, and it is kind of you to say so. I feel it is a reflection of my initial training in the UK, where we got used to taking detailed histories of patients and recording them along with clinical findings in detail, by hand, in their records. We also got used to seeing patients with their detailed records at each visit. This habit has, thankfully, persisted.

If that is indeed true, then there can be no greater accolade or reward!. I am not sure if there is any secret: over the years, all I have tried to do, is to be true to patients—not criticize one's colleagues and to work within one's limitations.

In 1986, when I returned to India and was looking for hospital attachments, I went to a general hospital in Delhi. The MS was a physician himself, and I have never forgotten his words to me. He said, "I can take you as a physician, but not as a rheumatologist. After all, what can you do for a patient with arthritis—except pray!?" The irony was that his wife had rheumatoid arthritis. However, the further twist in the tale is that the same physician now refers patients to me for 'a rheumatology opinion!'

Initially, this was indeed difficult. One had to balance time for family with time with patients, reading, and other academic work. Over the years, this has become somewhat easier, and I have been able to modify my work schedule to balance this out.

Extremely satisfied.