Author’s Background: Author Dr. Mitadru De Sarkar did his post-graduation and senior residency in Pathology from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, India. He has, in the past, worked for SRL Diagnostics (Fortis Healthcare) and is currently, the Consultant Histopathologist at Calcutta Heart Clinic and Hospital, Kolkata. Postgraduate medical education is something he takes a keen interest in.
Questionnaires:
Neel Preet: Firstly, Congratulations on your book, “Brain Tumour Pathology For Post Graduates!” What responses are you getting from this book of yours? Please share your experience about this book.
Dr. Mitadru: Thank you. The response has been positive from post graduate students .They were the intended target population of the book, students who are burdened with routine clinical duties and find themselves lacking in time to look up standard reference texts for neuropathology when need arises.
Neel Preet: Well, the subject matter covered in your book is very essential & yet many of us are alien to this! So my next question to you is that what inspired you to write a book like this?
Dr. Mitadru: Histopathology is a niche subject, and neuropathology, even more so. Frankly speaking, a year or two ago, I would have never imagined myself embarking on a project like this. But the science of oncopathology has undergone a paradigm shift of late with advanced molecular methodologies slowly usurping the role of the traditional Histopathologist. Routine surgical pathology texts have not highlighted this fact yet (I’m sure they will, a few years down the line). I felt the need to point out the writing on the wall early for the Pathologist-in-training. Hence, this book.
Neel Preet: You have imparted various neuropathological information in this book so, why did you feel need to highlight these topics among the readers?
Dr. Mitadru: As mentioned earlier, I felt the post-graduate student would benefit if he/she were made aware of the various state-of-the-art methodologies needed to reach a definitive diagnosis of brain tumours. And also, to emphasize the sobering fact that our tried and tested microscopy and IHC-based approach may not suffice in many cases.
Neel Preet: This book primarily targets the academic readers, who may be interested in certain kinds of researches!So, what was the impetus behind this work of yours?
Dr. Mitadru: The need to point out the role of adjunctive molecular methodologies in the diagnosis of brain tumours. The commonly referred texts highlight mostly morphology and IHC, but that somehow ignores the Big Picture.
Neel Preet: Apart from academic & scientific genre, in which other genre would you consider carrying out your writing?
Dr. Mitadru: Haven’t given much thought to it, but maybe a light-hearted semi-autobiographical take on the life of a Pathologist.
Neel Preet: Sir next, I want you to tell us about some of those writers or researchers, who had inspired you and whom you follow!
Dr. Mitadru: There are so many of them. Pathology as a discipline is blessed with a plethora of writers possessing extraordinary writing skill. Most of us are brought up on the works of Pathologists like Dr Arie Perry, Dr Peter Burger, Dr CDM Fletcher , to name a few. Each one of these stalwarts has a writing style worth emulating! As for fiction, Somerset Maugham and Edgar Allan Poe are two of my favourite authors.
Neel Preet: Is there any message which you would like to convey to your readers? Or any piece of advice, which you would like to give to the readers out there!
Dr. Mitadru: Never take it for granted that your microscope and brain power will have the final word. The future may belong to Machine Learning!
Neel Preet: Are there any other books being worked by you? Please let us know about your future projects.
Dr. Mitadru: Not any as of now. This particular book was a non-commercial, no-royalty project that I had taken up just to highlight the changing diagnostic landscape. In future, if time permits, I might consider a book series on histopathological pattern recognition across organ systems. But that would need co-authors. 😊
Neel Preet: Thank you so much for answering all my questions. All the very best to you for the future and your book too!
Dr. Mitadru: Thank you for your kind words.
