Oath & Staff

Dr. Ulrika Sandvik operates on children’s brains at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Ten years into her neurosurgery career, one refugee child’s case shook her so deeply that she enrolled in philosophy classes to find answers.

In this episode, Dr. Sandvik reveals:

- How a refugee girl from Africa became her "tipping point" into philosophy & medical ethics

- Serving on ethics boards: assisted suicide, AI in surgery, and sanctity of life

- Why West Africa has only 1 neurosurgeon per 1.7 million people — and what she's doing about it

- What it’s like being an expedition medical officer to Antarctica (15-hour whiteout journey)

- How her grandfather’s life shaped her values of resilience, pushing boundaries, and balancing grit with curiosity

From a Finnish farm with no academic role models to the operating rooms of one of the world's most prestigious medical institutions, Dr. Sandvik's journey spans continents, disciplines, and the deepest questions about human life.

Story by A. David Singh: Harry Potter’s 11th birthday

Mentioned in this episode:

Swedish African Neurosurgery Collaboration:  https://www.sanc.se 

Swedish Polar Research Secretariat:  https://www.polar.se/en 

Ulrika’s textile art:  https://www.instagram.com/aurorabotanicasthlm 

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

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My guest is Dr. Ravi Kannan. In this episode of the Oath & Staff Podcast, he talks about the core values of Cachar Cancer Hospital, the poor patients he serves, and why his colleagues are his greatest rewards.

Link mentioned in this episode:
Cachar Cancer Hospital: https://cacharcancerhospital.org/ 

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

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My guest is Dr. Sam Ebenezer Athikarisamy. In this episode of the Oath & Staff Podcast, he talks about his life as a neonatologist, and his research, clinical work, and challenges in Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Shalini Mishra’s video - https://youtu.be/JXGnOuId7xs

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show

My guest is Dr. Rohit John. In this episode of the Oath & Staff Podcast, he talks about the complexities of being a General Practitioner (GP) in the UK, the Pyramid of Health … and why he might be a part of a dying breed.

Links mentioned in this episode:

A. David Singh’s video: https://youtu.be/PKfs_vXMvKQ 

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show

My guest is Dr. Rohit Amritanand. In this episode of the Oath & Staff Podcast, he talks how he became a Spine Surgeon by breaking out of his comfort zone, how to tap opportunities in the face of adversity, and how the life skills he learnt in his boarding school days influenced his medical career.

Links mentioned in this episode:

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten (Robert Fulgham) - https://geni.us/fulg  

Dr. Rohit Amritanand interviews Dr. Michael Fehlings (Spine Surgeon in Toronto) - https://youtu.be/9NQfgy46ZjE 

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show

This episode was presented during CMC Vellore's UK alumni annual get-together - Gumbal 2025.

Links mentioned in this episode:
Snell’s Clinical Neuroanatomy -  https://geni.us/A2ofT9S
My book - Dead Boy’s Game and The Broken Vow -  https://magicalrome.com/dbg1 
Want to be a guest on my podcast? Please contact me -  [email protected] 

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show

My guest is Dr. Shalini Mishra. In this episode of the Oath & Staff Podcast, she talks about her life-saving work with children, common childhood tumours, and the importance of a multidisciplinary team.

Links mentioned in this episode:
https://magicalrome.com/read


ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show

My guest is Dr. Justy Chiramal. In this episode she talks about Infectious diseases, Radiology, and how her work in Artificial Intelligence pushing the boundaries of medical diagnosis and patient care.

Story by A. David Singh: Prince Paris of Troy

Links mentioned in this episode:

Website - https://www.qure.ai 

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show

My guest is Dr. Hrishikesh Sarkar. In this episode of the Oath & Staff Podcast, he talks about neurosurgery in Europe, Keyhole neurosurgery & his non-profit organization - Ushakiran Foundation

Story by A. David Singh: Leonardo da Vinci, the famous polymath

Links mentioned in this episode:

Textbook on Complication prevention in Neurosurgery - https://geni.us/4oo9XoY 

Back in the Game (spine surgery recovery) - https://geni.us/wk9HTnv 

Confessions of a meandering scalpel (poetry) - https://geni.us/w5W5 

Website - https://getdrsarkar.com

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@crazyamygdala

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrishikeshsarkar/ 

Ushakiran Foundation -   https://www.ushakiran.foundation

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show

My guest is Dr. Sudhir Kumar. In this episode of the Oath & Staff Podcast, he talks about lifestyle diseases and their prevention.

Story by A. David Singh: Hippocrates teaches people about health and disease.

Links mentioned in this episode:

https://www.youtube.com/@HyderabadNeurologist 

https://www.facebook.com/doctorsudhir 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsudhirkumar/ 

https://x.com/hyderabaddoctor

ABOUT ME: I'm an author, proud dog-dad, neurosurgeon, & medical podcaster. Welcome to my website:  https://www.adavidsingh.com

If you like my work, buy me a Coffee:  https://ko-fi.com/adavidsingh

VIDEO PODCAST (Youtube):  https://www.youtube.com/@ADavidSingh  

AUDIO PODCAST:  https://pod.link/1805318329

EXPLORE MY BOOKS:
Watch the Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/A4tkAmsV3nk
Visit the website:  https://MagicalRome.com

WELCOME TO MY WORLD: 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ADavidSinghAuthor
Goodreads:  https://goodreads.com/ADavidSingh
Email:  [email protected]

Support the show