Skip to main content

Words, Wisdom, and Wellness: Dr. Asha Menon on Leading the AKMG 2026 Literary Committee

Thank you Dr.Elizabeth Mammen Prasad, Dr.Joseph Prasad, Dr.Rekha Menon, Dr.Liza Protasis and Dr.Bikram Kabir for making the AKMG New Jersey convention a memorable one after all the heart aches of planning and getting it off the ground. I want to thank all the writers, with a propensity to express themselves a big thank you for making the literary forum a big success. Thank you to the audience for the wonderful feedback that we at the literary forum received. Truly a place where medicine and minds meet, a place where art and science meet. Thank you Dr Venkat Iyer who is one of the founders of AKMG for your valuable input. His book on Lifestyle medicine is an eyeopener. This important topic was never taught to us during our residency or fellowship. So thank you for your book. Dr. Thomas Payapilli spoke from his book about Healthy Habits for lifelong wellness and explained how he came off the BP medicines with time restricted eating and many other habits.
Dr. Charles Kannankeril has 84 patents under his belt. He informed us that the grocery bags are his invention. I sure will remember him when I am at the grocery stores. An amazing innovator, students have studied the art of entrepreneurship by reading his book; The inventor in you. Dr. Mathew Thekkedath is an absolute fan of Malayalam literature. He gave us rich insights into Malayalam poetry, spoke about Vayalar and other stalwarts. His passion for poetry lit up the room. I was transported to my childhood where my father would play these songs. Dr. Urmila Kovilam spoke about her book and contributions to gynecology. As for me, I write from my heart about emotions related to the heart, emotions that help us navigate through life. I learn something from every human interaction, from their dilemmas and mine and then pen them. I write to understand life, to understand relationships, to understand myself. And I write mostly for me. But if you wish you can find my book Tame The Mind: An Exploration of Love, Sex, Happiness on Amazon.
But hey, in this day and age not many people read. So I did open the literary forum trying to reason; Why literature is important in our lives and especially at such conventions. Through fictional characters, stories can help us understand human nature in depth and show us how to overcome challenges that visual media rarely helps us achieve. If only we can go back to reading; one thing I can vouch for is that reading staves off loneliness. Books can be your best friend. You must have heard this sentence a few decades ago! Not anymore! And in our fraternity we discuss a lot about loneliness! Well here is one answer out of 100's of other answers! A MOTHER'S DILEMMA, a poem by Dr Asha Menon recited at the AK medical graduates 2026 convention. https://youtu.be/r76-R2euFEE?is=lDJCNgx_VdhayI3a
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Only One in the Room: Dr. Devi Nair

When people ask what it is like to be a woman in interventional electrophysiology, I tell them the truth: for most of my career, I was the only one at the table. Not the only woman in the EP lab; nurses, techs, and coordinators have always been the backbone of every EP lab I have worked in, but the only woman standing in lead, with the catheters in her hands. That has changed. It has not changed enough. Cardiology remains one of the least gender-balanced fields in medicine, and the procedural subspecialties EP, interventional, structural are the narrowest part of that funnel. We are not short on talented women entering medical school. We lose them somewhere between the classroom and the lab. I have thought a lot about where that loss happens, and I no longer believe it is mostly about ability or even about ambition. It is about permission, the quiet, cumulative sense of whether a room expects you to be in it. The room does not hand you authority ... Early on, I learned that bei...
6 comments
Read more

From Tampa to Timeless Japan: A Journey Through Culture, Speed, and Soul Easter 2026

Reena Kavilaveettil MD Traveling with Family and Friends from Tampa Brown Bears I. Arrival — Tokyo in Full Bloom Our journey began in Tampa, with excitement packed tighter than our suitcases. As the plane lifted into the early morning sky on Easter Day, we left behind the familiar warmth of home, heading toward a land where tradition and technology coexist in perfect harmony — Tokyo. Tokyo welcomed us not just with its dazzling lights, but with a rare gift: cherry blossoms in full bloom. Walking through Ueno Park, we found ourselves beneath a canopy of soft pink sakura petals. The air felt lighter, almost magical, as families gathered, laughter echoed, and petals fell gently like nature's own confetti. We felt incredibly fortunate to witness the fleeting beauty of sakura — Japan's most poetic season. II. Temples, Palaces, and the Soul of the City Our Tokyo tour began at the serene Meiji Shrine, nestled within a beautifully forested area that honors Emperor Meiji — th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Climbing Mountains – Book Review by Dr. Enas Enas

SALIM YUSUF: The golden age of cardiology. I recently had the privilege of reviewing an inspiring book on Dr. Salim Yusuf, a distinguished member of AKMG, and the remarkable era that helped shape modern cardiology—the Golden Age of Cardiology. I am reproducing my Google review in its entirety for the benefit of cardiologists, physician-scientists, and physicians interested in the origins and evolution of evidence-based medicine in cardiovascular care. Dr. Yusuf’s career and contributions offer a fascinating perspective on how rigorous clinical research, large-scale trials, epidemiology, and critical appraisal of evidence transformed the practice of cardiology. Climbing Mountains - The Journey to Beat the World's Biggest Killer is an extraordinary biography of Dr. Salim Yusuf, arguably one of the most accomplished and influential cardiovascular researchers of the 21st century. Authored by James Mathew and Dennis Xavier, the book traces Yusuf’s remarkable journey from humbl...
1 comment
Read more