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| Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent at CNN ( (http://m.comedycentral.com)) |
"It's easy to make a buck.
It's a lot tougher to make a difference." It's funny how frequently this
quote, by American journalist Tom Brokaw is depicted in society. Approximately 1 out of every 2 people
choose to become a doctor as their profession, almost half of our population.
Yet, only a small fraction chooses this profession for the opportunity to help
others, most choose it for its lucrative nature. And even of this small amount,
even less get to that position by endless hard work and determination. Most
only achieve this profession through financial assistance from their wealthy
parents, through the gift of opulence. But of the few, famed and highly
respected neurosurgeon and journalist Sanjay Gupta is one. Born in 1969, in the
more destitute neighborhood of Detroit, Gupta learned the value of hard work
from an early age. His parents, Subhash and Damyanti Gupta, two immigrant
workers from India, imbued determination within him during his youth, the
genesis of his success. But putting that lesson to work, Gupta was able to
secure himself an early spot at a highly reputable college and in turn,
commence his climb to success. He is currently the chief medical correspondent
at news network CNN, and assistant chief neurosurgeon at Grady Memorial
Hospital in Atlanta, and in 2009 was offered the prestigious job of surgeon
general, and all of it was made possible because of his assiduous attitude. But
what he does behind the scenes is what reflects his true character. His traits.
His characteristics. His moral values. When the common motivation for most
people was based on a want for money, Gupta broke through and joined a new
trend: acting based on a natural compassion for others. Through his hard work
and determination, he is now able to help others every day, saving lives and
ameliorating some of the world's pain and suffering, just by doing what he
loves. Sanjay Gupta is the perfect role model; a man that uses his passion to
not only rectify the world's problems steadily everyday, but also to galvanize
others to do the same thing by proving that hard work can get one anywhere in
life.
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| Gupta reporting from Haiti after the earthquake ( (http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/files/original/Gupta_1.16.jpg)) |
"Gupta's altruistic nature and constant compassion for others
is his most inimitable heroic trait. Gupta's compassion has been proven when he has put others needs ahead of his own in order to save
lives, for example: "His reporting from Iraq following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, where he not only
provided live coverage of a military operating room but also performed brain surgery on injured
soldiers, was considered groundbreaking." ("Sanjay Gupta"- Encyclopedia Britannica) Gupta was working his job as a journalist on the front lines
of Iraq, in order to expose the abhorrence of war to the public, when he heard
the stories of suffering, dying soldiers. He realized that he needed to use his
skills to save their lives, so he rushed to their sides, even though he knew
that he would take criticism for being a doctor while also working as a
journalist, as it had never been done before. However, he still saved the lives
of these injured soldiers, for it was the right thing to do. Gupta's benevolent nature is reflected
in the thoughts of his friends and colleagues, such as fellow neurosurgeon, Daniel L.
Barrow, who said, "We all know smart doctors, but they're not compassionate and
empathetic. He possesses all those qualities that make a physician truly
outstanding. And frankly, those are the necessary qualities to make a good
reporter." ("Sanjay Gupta"- Newsmakers) Barrow, a man
that has worked with Gupta for many years considers him to be a compassionate,
empathetic man, and this may be the most credible claim of all. Barrow clearly
thinks very highly of Gupta, and the people that one is with the most are the
people that know that person best. The opinion of this man and others that work
with Gupta is probably the most credible source that one could find on the
character of Gupta. What most forget about heroes is that of all the things
that make a hero a hero, Compassion is among the most important. One can have a
hard-working, determined, intelligent hero, but without compassion, that person
is not a hero. A natural hero, Gupta possesses all of these traits.
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| Gupta and his two sons (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/ ()) |
A true role model, Gupta is a perfect example of how far
determination and hard work can get one in life. Diligence from an early age
will drive a person to their highest potential, and luckily for Gupta: "His parents instilled in him a strong work ethic and a deep desire to learn." ("Sanjay Gupta"- Encyclopedia Britannica) The character of a person often relates
strongly to their upbringing. This is clearly depicted with Gupta, as because
of his hard-working parents, he grew up with determination, and through tenacity,
got to where he is today. Without his parents to support him and raise him as
they did, Gupta might not have achieved success in his life, because he would
not have learned through the example of his parents that hard work is what
makes a person flourish. With this perseverance and sedulous persona, Gupta was
able to set himself up in life by getting: " accepted
into an eight-year medical program called Inteflex at the University of
Michigan. This enabled him to secure a spot in the university's medical school
while still a student in high school." ("Sanjay Gupta"- Encyclopedia Britannica) Because of this effort,
Gupta was able to gain a spot in the University of Michigan, the stepping-stone
for the rest of his career as a successful journalist and neurosurgeon. Had
Gupta slacked off in high school, he probably wouldn't have
been accepted into the University of Michigan, and he would never have been as
successful as he is now. Gupta's parents knew that his life journey would be an
arduous one, so they raised him with a diligent attitude, and it turned him
into a conscientious young man who morphed into a successful adult. Without
that hard working attitude, Gupta would never have become the distinguished,
auspicious man that he is now.
"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do
everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do
interfere with what I can do." This quote, by Edward Everett Hale, the
distinguished American author, delineates Sanjay Gupta perfectly. The quote
alleges that helping the world requires a profusion of effort and hard work,
but this should hinder no one from doing such. It most definitely didn't discourage Gupta, and though it wasn't his intention, he also gained eminence and
triumph through all of his undying commitment to his dream. But what makes a hero a hero is his or
her trait of compassion. Any person can be hard working and determined, but
true heroes use this trait as a tool, fixing the world in their own way. Gupta
worked hard to gain fame, in order to use it to spread the message of health,
and to reveal the monstrosities of the world to the public. From an early age
I've been able to see Gupta on television, and always thought, what an
intelligent man! But as I got older I saw how he used his intelligence to
better the world, and he inspires me to work my hardest to be the best man that
I can be. He inspired me to go into the medical field, because I see the man
that he is, and I hope that I can be at least half the man that he is, because
if I can do that, I'll be satisfied with who I am. The message that I take from
him is that every man is obliged to do at least the minimum of work for the
sake of himself and his loved ones, but the heroes of men push themselves to
their personal limits and beyond for not just themselves, but for the greater
good of the world.
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| Gupta on his show |
Works Cited
Childs, Dan. "Obama's Top Doc Pick: Dr. Sanjay Gupta." ABC News. ABC News Network, 07 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Mar.
Issa, Judah. "NRM: Interview: Sanjay Gupta, behind the Headlines." National Review of Medicine. National Review of Medicine. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.
"Sanjay Gupta." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.
"Sanjay Gupta." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.
" "Sanjay
Gupta." Newsmakers. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Gale Biography
In Context. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.
Page created on 4/22/2012 12:00:00 AM
Last edited 4/22/2012 12:00:00 AM
