Many of us have dreams of what we’d like to be, and some are even lucky enough to achieve our ambitions. Fortunately for us, this is true for eye consultant Arijit Mitra, who as a child dreamed of helping vulnerable people regain their vision, and is today one of the emerging consultant ophthalmologists at Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC).
Arijit (39) worked as a trainee at BMEC from 2007 to 2011 before undertaking his fellowship in Manchester for a year. He then came back to work at BMEC in 2012 as a Consultant. During his training program at BMEC, he won a number of rewards for his outstanding work, including the Roper Hall Prize Medal and the Midlands Opthalmological Society Travel Award.
Mr Mitra has a special interest in vitreo-retinal surgery and medical retina. When asking about what motivates him at work, he says: “I love the nature of my job. It is very challenging as the cases are usually very complex. However, whenever I help patients regain their vision, I find the job absolutely rewarding. It makes me feel that I have made such a positive difference to someone’s life.”
“Being an eye doctor has always been my dream. One of the memorable moments in my career was when I successfully carried out surgery on a patient, who is the husband of the former Sandwell mayor. After seeing the care that we delivered to her husband and other patients, she chose BMEC as one of her two charities of the year, helping us to raise money to improve the care at BMEC.”
Mr Mitra has been helping BMEC to set up the Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital Alumni Association, which aims to create a network to connect all previous BMEC consultants. The association organises annual scientific events for the alumni. This is seen as an opportunity for all the leading consultants to share best practice with each other, helping their colleagues improve their profession. He has also co-authored a book on the history of Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital.
Mr Mitra explained: “BMEC is one of the largest eye hospitals in Europe. We have a great team working together to provide the best service possible to our patients. The team has always been very supportive and friendly to me, ever since I was a trainee. They provide such a nurturing environment where you can freely discuss your opinion and knowledge with your colleagues and become better every day.”
Mr Mitra is now living in Harborne with his wife and two daughters. Outside work, he focuses solely on his family. He would like to travel to the Himalayas in his home country to explore that part of the world and to learn about the life of the locals. Mr Mitra’s heroes are his parents, who have always encouraged him to unlock his potential and achieve his dream.
