Community Feature: Sumer Chauhan
For the first edition of our community feature, we're very excited to bring you an introduction to the work of Sumer Chauhan. Sumer has always been involved in projects that would make a positive impact, not only within the medical community but the general community as a whole. He aims to create systems that help heal communities, in every sense of the word.
Sumer accomplished this in a big way through his work in the Himalayas where he created a Mobile Mental Health Village Crisis Centre and several medical outposts. This project allowed the community to access the necessary healthcare and other therapeutic services helping patients suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, depression and a variety of other medical issues.
To dive a little deeper, we asked Sumer a couple of questions about his journey.
What change do you want to see happen in our world?
“You see, everything is interconnected, we are all connected. When one individual or group of individuals suffer, it has an effect on others, which may not be obvious at first, but suffering of one group of individuals needs to be alleviated in order for an entire community to be healthier and live a more fulfilling life. A world that is more truly empathetic and compassionate. Our world has become focused on personal wealth and success at the cost of others which has an insatiable appetite that can never be satisfied. Healing has to take place as a whole, in an individual, the environment and the community. By healing, we reverse the negative atmosphere that has enveloped entire communities. This has a huge positive impact on the physical and mental health of entire communities. I am talking about the mind, body and spirit of entire communities. I know this can all be done because I had accomplished it on a smaller scale during my medical work in the Himalayas."
What skills/projects are you pursuing to help make it happen?
"I returned to Canada and pursued a post graduate medical residency in North America but unfortunately, have not been able to secure one. This is despite having the qualifications for both Canada and the United States along with amazing medical experiences and receiving the highest recommendations from Canadian and American physicians. However, I have not given up, never will and am presently still trying to secure a medical residency. I am also looking at other avenues where I can apply my knowledge and skills to make my project a reality. If you truly believe in something or yourself, you never give up. I always remind myself of my favorite quote: hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies (The Shawshank Redemption)."
Sumer's journey is incredibly inspiring to all of us here at Our Better Selves and we thank you for what you're doing in the world! And, for any of you change agents in the Our Better Selves community, feel free to reach out to Sumer with encouragement, questions, or just offering a helping hand.