BackTable Urology

Ep. 62 Finding the Path: Purpose, Passion, Peace with Dr. Manoj Monga


Listen Later

In this episode, Dr. Aditya Bagrodia speaks with Dr. Manoj Monga, chair of the urology department at UC San Diego, about his unique journey to becoming a urologist as well as extra-academic passions that have led him to understand the importance of advocacy.


---


EARN CME


Reflect on how this Podcast applies to your day-to-day and earn AMA PRA Category 1 CMEs: https://earnc.me/B9LqOK


---


SHOW NOTES


First, Dr. Monga shares the story of his childhood. As an Indian born and raised in Belfast, Ireland, he had to adapt to living among a different culture and religion. In his childhood, he was surrounded by bomb scares and bomb drills because of the religious and political conflict in Ireland. His parents ultimately made the decision to move to Ontario, Canada for family safety. He finished his schooling in Ontario, Canada and noted that his decision to pursue medicine was more based on a path of least resistance rather than initial passion. He chose medicine out of practicality, but was interested in a musical career because he played the french horn, trumpet, and saxophone. He still plays musical instruments and has realized that many musical skills, such as practice and challenging himself, have translated into medical skills.


He then speaks about his early career. Dr. Monga did not start out with an ultra-focused goal of becoming a urologist. He started as a categorical general surgery intern at Tulane because of his interest in trauma and reconstructive surgery. In his second year in Louisiana, he gained his first exposure to urology and decided to fill an empty spot in the urology residency program. However, he took a 1 year research gap at Tulane to study endourology, pyelonephritis, and andrology. He noted that this year helped him with aligning his career with his wife’s career and prompted him to think about an academic career. He finished residency and trained at a variety of institutions, such as UC San Diego and the Cleveland Clinic.


Then, Dr. Monga reflects about his transition to UC San Diego as the chair of urology during the pandemic. It was difficult to leave his family at first, but he was impressed by the teamwork and selflessness of his department. Shortly afterwards, he became the secretary of AUA, a position that was fulfilling, but also one that challenged his time management skills.


Finally, Dr. Monga explains why taking action and being an advocate is so important in his professional and personal life. Inspired by recent events, he has taken multiple trips to provide medical relief in Ukraine. He found that the refugee history he encountered abroad resonated with him and motivated him to create a better world for his kids by developing meaningful passions. He encourages using urology for social responsibility by advocacy and raising funds for important causes instead of stopping at social media to raise awareness.


Finally, Dr. Monga sums up three big lessons he has learned. First, he is fortunate for the open paths and family/mentor support. Second, he has learned to temper his enthusiasm for simple answers to complex issues. Finally, he realizes the importance of sharing experiences to let people who are suffering know that they are not alone.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

BackTable UrologyBy BackTable

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

49 ratings


More shows like BackTable Urology

View all
Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast by Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast

Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast

1,301 Listeners

White Coat Investor Podcast by Dr. Jim Dahle of the White Coat Investor

White Coat Investor Podcast

2,432 Listeners

The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast by The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast

The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast

3,332 Listeners

The Peter Attia Drive by Peter Attia, MD

The Peter Attia Drive

7,928 Listeners

Post Reports by The Washington Post

Post Reports

5,436 Listeners

Money Meets Medicine by Doctor Podcast Network, Jimmy Turner MD

Money Meets Medicine

219 Listeners

The Passive Income MD Podcast by Peter Kim, MD

The Passive Income MD Podcast

279 Listeners

Urology Coding and Reimbursement Podcast by Mark Painter, Scott Painter and Dr. Ray Painter

Urology Coding and Reimbursement Podcast

14 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,237 Listeners

EAU Podcasts by European Association of Urology

EAU Podcasts

3 Listeners

Urology Audio Guidelines by Nicolas Seranio, MD

Urology Audio Guidelines

4 Listeners

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

10,556 Listeners

AUA Leadership and Business by American Urological Association

AUA Leadership and Business

2 Listeners

Urology Times Podcasts by Urology Times

Urology Times Podcasts

0 Listeners

Point Me To First Class by Devon Gimbel MD

Point Me To First Class

1,144 Listeners