Prof. (Dr) M. Shantharam Shetty *- a Doyen of Orthopaedics Interviewed by Dr Siddhartha M Shetty
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OrthoWalkathon Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics 2018 Jan-June;3(1):32-36 Prof. (Dr) M. Shantharam Shetty *- a Doyen of Orthopaedics Interviewed by Dr Siddhartha M Shetty, practice; practice what you preach” community, and mother a true home says Dr. Shetty. “ ...seen the maker, who looked after her children transformation of orthopaedics SP well with all sincerity and purpose. Nails Plate to PFN A2 from excision I was again lucky that my father- a arthroplasty of hip to most government servant- was posted to sophisticated modular, hybrid hips, Mangalore where we have thereafter from arthrodesis knee to high flexed settled permanently. I had the privilege knees, open menisectomy to of schooling in St. Aloysius School, arthroscopic meniscal repair to which had the best of sports facilities, regenerative therapy.”. debating and cultural fests and more Dr.Shetty continues “.... Change is a than that, all teachers were indeed natural phenomenon. An arm chair admirable. They chiselled us in surgeon has no role to play in the discipline, academics, sports and present arena of constant cultural activities. I am beholden to this development and learning. A learner school. One incidence which I should Prof. (Dr.) M. Shantharam Shetty will have time and means to learn, a mention here is how Principals or lazy person will have only excuses”. teachers can mend ones thinking in life. He is a renowned Doctor, good My Principal Rev. Fr. Betram Sequiera teacher and a good human being too. Excerpts from an Interview: made this impact on me. One of my His benign presence, stately bearing, Question 1: You hail from a bunt family classmates John was caught smoking by innate simplicity, vast erudition and from the undivided district of Dakshina his mother. She came to Principal and benevolent guidance to all his Kannada in Karnataka. The family was asked him to advise or punish John and students and peers in the medical predominantly agrarian and your see that John does not smoke. Father field something to be experienced. upbringing in a joint family. How do Betram asked her to come on 1st of An avid lover of sports, good orator you recollect the times during schooling succeeding month. The same reply was and was a talented sportsman which was also the time when repeated 3 times and at the end of 4th throughout his school and university challenging without India achieved its month, Fr. Betram simply called John career. He believes in the dictum that freedom. and his mother and told him how bad “knowledge is power and with the I was lucky to be born in an illustrious smoking was and cajoled him to stop power comes responsibility”. Bunt Family. I was born in the famous smoking. John's mother was astonished In Prof. Dr. M Shantharam Shetty, I Moodlakatte House - my grandfather's and asked-“Father, just to say this, you found as Max Lucado put it, that “the house known for its architectural took 3 months and I am afraid John was people who make a difference are not heritage where the famous Rekha's smoking all the time”. Dear Lady, father the ones with the credentials, but the picture 'Utsav' was filmed- and spent said-“... I must confess, I was myself ones with the concern”. some time in my mother's place smoking all the time and it took me 3 “....I do not preach what I do not Molahalli another prominent Bunt months to stop smoking, now I have stopped smoking. I did not want to * Prof. (Dr.) M. Shantharam Shetty, House-both with large land holding. Pro Chancellor, Nitte University, It is well said birth is an accident, preach what I do not practise; practise Chairman, Tejasvini Hospital & SSIOT, life is a journey and death is reality. what you preach” – a great lesson in my Adjunct Professor, The T N Dr. MGR Medical University, life. AO Trustee 2006-11 and Past Chairman AO Trauma India I was fortunate to be born as the son Council, of a father, who was one of the first About freedom and Independence, Yes, Past President, Indian Orthopaedic Association agricultural graduates of our I was 5 year old when we were © Authors | Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics | Available on www.jcorth.com | doi:10.13107/jcorth.2456-6993.201.453 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non- commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 32| Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics | Volume 3 | Issue 1 | Jan-June 2018 | Page 32-36 Shetty S, Shetty SM www.jcorth.com proclaimed an independent nation. We considered as a city for orthopaedic Liverpool, his classes were fascinating– I were in Kasargod, on 15th of August teaching and clinical practice, yes- we tagged on to him, worked with him in 1947, there was a grand scale were the first in India to start a PG Bangalore as Lecturer in Orthopaedics celebration in the public maidan. I was Orthopaedic course and all my and when I secured a seat for MS (Orth) 5 years old. My father was a colleagues have maintained high ethical, in Delhi, I also had the job offer from government official and we were seated innovative and the latest techniques in Canada in a small hospital. I sought his in a specially erected enclosure. They the practise of orthopaedic surgery. The advice as to what I should do. He just were distributing laddoos and I put number of orthopaedic conferences at said, “..resign, pack up and join your post forward my left hand I got a laddoo, the state, national and international graduation studies at Delhi though I will mischievous as I was, I put forward my level, vouches for the same. miss you as a junior”. That was the best right hand hiding my left hand and I got advice I got. If I had gone to Canada, one more laddoo. I asked my father will Question 3 : How was it that you perhaps, I would have ended up as a G P it be like this hereafter. My father said decided to become a doctor and take up and never would have the fascination of yes, it will be like this, provided you orthopaedics as a speciality? What was Orthopaedic Surgery in my life. work for it. Yes, my country and the inspiration to move away from the countrymen have been extremely kind comforts of the home to Mysore to me I got almost whatever I asked for, medical college for the MBBS and later Question 4: You have decided to return dreamt of, and aspired to be in my to Delhi for orthopaedic training? to Mangalore to practice orthopaedics country. Unfortunately, all are not How I became a doctor is purely by and at that time it would have been fortunate as me and my heart bleeds for accident and luck. I wanted to be a difficult as an orthopaedic surgeon to them, many a times. lawyer. I was a good debater in my establish or to practice the art and school days. When I passed my SSLC provide the best care. How did you Question 2: The city of Mangalore is and wanted to take up Arts, it was my begin your professional career as the world renowned as a seat of education; mother who coaxed me and said “son infrastructure and amenities would have it is well recognised in the field of my dream is to see you as a doctor”. My been inadequate? Health care because of the various mother was everything to me. In PUC, Again, after M.S Orth in Delhi, working medical institutes and excellent other I did not do well, but our Bunt as a post graduate and resident under related healthcare facilities. The city has Community was categorised/grouped Dr. Balu Sankaran a doyen in been recognised among the orthopaedic as backward community in that orthopaedics, I was planning to go to fraternity in India and abroad all particular year and thus I got a seat in Australia. I had applied for a visa. At because of your contribution. Sir, so Govt. Medical College, Mysore. It was that point in time, Dr. TMA Pai, a how did this journey in orthopaedics pure destiny and my good fortune that visionary and architect of Manipal, was begin? my community was categorised as on a visit to Delhi and I happened to Yes, Mangalore I consider the paradise backward and after 4 years, it was again meet him since my father was closely on earth, not that it has given me basic categorised as forward community. associated with him. He simply asked education and of course now livelihood, Once I got in to Medicine, I wanted to me to go over to Mangalore and he but it has given me friends whom I make the best use of it though the would give me a job there. Coming to knew not, brothers out of strangers, love dictum says; you should not take up Mangalore was a dream come true. I and understanding. With just a anything which you do not want to. I loved Mangalore. I started my career as population of 5 lakh which has almost believe in the philosophy that it is some Asst. Professor in Orthopaedics. Dr. remained stagnant- perhaps the only unseen power- we all call him God -does Ramanna was the Head of the Dept. of city to be like that. It has 7 Medical everything for us what is best.