Meet Sahar Mohsin, a young woman who is inspiring and admirable for the work she does and how much she has accomplished. She is said to be the only Pakistani doctor in Ireland with a Phd in Anatomy. Not only is she teaching at a prestigious university, she also does extensive research on the human bone. Read on to learn more about her journey to becoming a doctor as well as some tips about how you can keep your bones healthy!

PIC

Please introduce yourself to our readers:
I was born in Lahore and brought up in Islamabad, Pakistan, where I lived until I got married and moved to Republic of Ireland (Eire).

Tell us about your education: where you went to school and what did you study?
My early education is from Islamabad College for Girls (ICG), where I did my F.Sc and have very fond memories of the place. I did MBBS from Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) and internship from affiliated teaching hospital, ‘Rawalpindi General Hospital’ (RGH). Thereafter, I came to Ireland and passed MRCP1. It was the time when the medical council in Ireland had closed new registration for foreign doctors and was considering introducing a registration exam.

How I ended up in Anatomy is actually quite interesting. I went to visit a friend in medical school in Galway, Ireland; where by chance I met Professor in Anatomy who incidentally was looking for some keen tutor to teach anatomy on honorary basis. She started interviewing me and I indicated to her that I have absolutely no interest in the subject; as a medical student anatomy was one subject I dreaded most. She took my address and I literally ran from the place with my life. Honorary teaching, and that too of Anatomy, no way! A few weeks later, someone rang my door bell and to my surprise it was the same professor. She had brought with her the application form for me to apply for the post of anatomy; I just did not have the heart to refuse her. Later, it transpired she lived in the same estate as ours. So, out of courtesy I applied, and also at the interview I was fairly honest about my reservations for anatomy.

As luck would have it, my interview grades were actually quite good, and to my surprise, I was offered the job. I joined thinking I will leave this job as soon as medical council registration will open. However, as I went along I started to develop an interest in teaching; which also involved research. I ended up with Masters in Anatomy after my first year. The research project of my Masters was well appreciated and I was able to secure scholarship of four years towards PhD at Royal College of Surgeons. I believe I am the first and only Pakistani doctor in Ireland with a PhD in Anatomy.

You are a medical doctor and also a PhD, what areas of research are you interested in and why did you decide to go with it?

During my PhD, I studied the structure of human bone in minutest of details. As we grow old, our bones get hard and develop microcracks from everyday stresses. These cracks, over a period of time, weaken our bones and may result in serious damage with relatively lesser force, even fracture of bone. I studied various mechanisms by which these cracks develop. It was an excellent experience as I learned new techniques and got a chance to present this work at various national & international conferences. Now I have taken this research further and I am working on various bone engineering projects.

Tell us about bone tissue engineering? Explain what that is.

Bone Tissue Engineering is a multidisciplinary research area where scientists from various backgrounds apply principles of biology and engineering to develop bone substitutes to restore, maintain, or improve the function of diseased or damaged human bones.

What causes bones to break or damage? What treatments are currently available for prevention?

Apart from direct trauma and secondary to various systemic diseases, bones can be damaged as a result of over activity (stress factors of foot common in soldiers, runners, ballet dancers), or sometimes the body’s bone repair mechanism is deficient as in old age and people develop fragility fractures.

You are working and researching on an alternative solution to drugs and synthetic implants, tell us about that.

I am currently working on developing bone substitutes. The need for bone substitutes is particularly important as these are often required to help repair or replace damaged or diseased bones in cases ranging from trauma, to congenital and degenerative diseases, to cancer, to cosmetics. There are approximately 500,000 surgical procedures performed every year in the U.S. which require bone substitutes. Currently available bone substitutes, including autografts (tissue transplanted from one part of the body to another in the same individual), allografts (transplant of an organ or tissue from one individual to another), and synthetic materials, which are the most implanted materials second only to transfused blood products. However, these substitutes are far from ideal and have many associated problems, e.g., grafting is expensive, frequently gets infected, and can have significant donor site morbidity, while synthetic materials wear, do not behave like true bone, and may be rejected by the body. My goal is to provide an alternative solution by creating large-scale, tissue engineered bone.

What is osteoporosis? Why it is common in women?

Osteoporosis is a condition of bones in which the amount of bone (bone quantity) is decreased as is the quality of bone. This leads to an increase in the risk of fractures, particularly of the wrist, hip and spine. Osteoporosis is a major public health problem for elderly people. It effects both men & women but common in women in menopausal age due to hormonal imbalance which effect bone changes. Osteoporosis often affects back as a result elderly women develop a hunch over and their spine shrinks. (found some interesting pics on web)
There are certain risk factors defined for osteoporosis such as early menopause, personal history of fracture as an adult, low body weight (that is why cases are reported in young models and athletes), long term immobilization, excessive alcohol, smoking, diabetes etc.

What tips or advice would you give our readers to make sure they maintain strong and healthy bones?

Osteoporosis is a preventable disease. There are number of drugs available for treatment but none offer a complete cure; therefore, building strong bones, especially before the age of 30 can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis. Also, a healthy lifestyle can be critically important for keeping bones strong. Get daily recommended doses of calcium and vitamin D, engage in regular weight bearing exercise, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, discuss with your family physician about bone health.

You also teach Anatomy, tell us what and where you teach?

I teach ‘Human Anatomy’ at Bart’s and London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London. I teach at undergraduate level to medical, dental, nursing students and at postgraduate level to radiologists, surgeons and dentists.

Being a Pakistani woman, would you encourage more young women to follow your footsteps and enter the medical field?

Yes, most definitely, as medical field is demanding but rewarding in every way. There are so many options available other than clinical jobs as I know it can be difficult to manage with full family responsibilities. Teaching has the prestige, flexibility, as well as the satisfaction which I think suits a woman.

Pakistan has produced some of the best doctors in the world, but most of them are out of Pakistan including yourself, do you think you would ever go back to Pakistan to work?

It is true that a good proportion of doctors leave Pakistan for a number of reasons, most often to further academic and research career. However, I strongly feel that we all have a debt to pay for what Pakistan has given to us. Pakistanis deserve the best and we are in a position to make that happen. I certainly intend to return, but equally believe perhaps as an expatriate, I can contribute as much being away from Pakistan as being physically there.

What incentives if any should the Pakistani Government give to our elite educated class so they would come back and be willing to live and work in Pakistan?

Although an attractive packages, which in my case may include a safe and conducive environment and provisions for research, would probably be central to any contract, however, it is the strong commitment to purpose which probably is the most important of all.

Lastly, your message to the readers of The Saturday Post?

Never give up, work hard towards your goals and you will succeed, and enjoy your life to full.