Dr Vikram Talaulikar, MD, MRCOG,PhD (University of London) specialises in Reproductive Medicine, University College London Hospital NHS Trust; and is Hon. Senior Clinical Lecturer, University College London, UK. He recently made headlines when he offered to be tested for the vaccine that is developed to fight COVID-19.
Tell us about your schooling and early life?
I completed my primary schooling in Mushtifund High School in Panaji followed by secondary education at the People’s High school in Panaji. I was always keen in subjects related to Science and chose the Dhempe Higher Secondary school for further education. I enjoyed my time in school especially participating in activities such as quizzes, debates and elocution competitions. I had an inclination towards experimental science and biology, and perhaps this was to play a major part in my choice of career in future. My love for music played (and still plays!) a major part in my early life and it drove me towards trying out and mastering a couple of instruments which I enjoyed playing for fun as well as at family occasions and local events.
What drew you to the medical profession and obstetrics in particular?
I was always interested in science and biology, but the real inspiration came from my father (Vijay Talaulikar) who is a Doctor himself. I guess being born in a medical family, I was exposed to a medically nutritious environment that made me feel at ease with the challenges that were associated with choice of medical career. Watching the surgeons wield their knife and rid their patients of their pathology or watching the exciting science of test tube babies stimulated the scientist in me. I had made the choice of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O and G) specialty the day I entered medical school – I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father. Besides, O and G is a unique branch of medicine which combines both surgical and medical aspects of health care.
Tell us about your professional experience in Goa?
I practised medicine as a Gynaecologist for 6 years in Goa before migrating to UK. The major part of this was in Goa Medical College as a Junior and then Senior Resident and a bit in the private sector helping my father in his practice. This is where the young and naïve fresh medical graduate in me matured into a responsible clinician with the ability to keep calm under challenging situations. I loved my time working day in and out on call (plenty of sleepless nights with coffees to keep hydration levels going!), trying to develop my clinical skills so that I could offer the best care to my patients. The team spirit while working as a resident was fantastic. What I loved most was my interactions with fellow residents and junior colleagues. Teaching was and is my passion! And I cannot forget the fantastic time we had organising and conducting the postgraduate teaching while working in GMC. There were two striking aspects of the healthcare that I felt needed significant improvements – 1. Inequitable distribution of health services – while the middle class and rich sections of society had ready access to self-funded quality care, the poorer sections struggled to get adequate health care when most needed, and 2. Lack of evidence-based protocols. There continues to be a need for honest, unbiased evidence based medical practice in many places where clinician’s individual biases or goals do not influence the quality of care.
What professional opportunities took you to the UK?
It was the opportunity to contribute to research and cutting-edge science that attracted me to UK. I had the opportunity to complete the MRCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists exam) followed by a PhD at University of London where I published my theses on ‘novel in vitro modelling of early pregnancy embryo-maternal interface’. I wished to subspecialise in fertility and reproductive endocrinology, and I got my opportunity to do this when I was offered a job at the University College London Hospital in 2013. Since starting my first job in the UK, 10 years ago I have been able to publish more than 120 Scientific papers/chapters/books and abstracts with some of the leading experts in the area of Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine. I have continued to keep my passion of teaching alive by conducting annual courses for general practitioners in the UK on menopause related healthcare, and I also conduct preparatory courses twice a year for junior doctors who are taking the MRCOG exam.
What is the spectrum of your practice in the UK and 6. What cases do you specialise in?
Currently I work as a Specialist in Reproductive Medicine in the UK. My NHS base is the University College London Hospital NHS Trust, but I also offer private consultations at the London Medical, Menopause Clinic London and London Claremont clinics. I specialise in looking after women or couples with fertility issues (treatments such as IUI or IVF), repeated miscarriage, PCOS, endocrinopathies related to menstruation, menopause and premature menopause. My research interests include genetic forms of premature ovarian insufficiency, hormone replacement therapy, early pregnancy interactions between embryo and maternal tissues and management of PCOS.
Tell us about you volunteering to be tested for the vaccine that is being developed to fight the coronavirus?
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect the lungs and airways which is caused by the coronavirus. At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials across the world which are evaluating potential treatments.The virus is causing havoc across the world (public health emergency) with more than 400,000 people dying from it so far. The need of the hour is to set up and complete clinical trials, which can lead to the development of a vaccine or medication that would be effective in preventing the infection or reducing severity of the illness.The COV002 vaccine trial is one of such trials which is testing how well a new vaccine developed by the Oxford Vaccine Group works against COVID-19.
As a doctor and scientist, it was an honour for me to participate in this trial and contribute to the science. Having been part of research teams over past few years, I certainly recognise the importance of volunteering to help the recruitment targets in such trials.
Who or what has been your inspiration in the profession?
As I said above, my father was my biggest inspiration. I have had the opportunity to work with some great clinicians and academicians over the past 15 years. Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards (who invented IVF) have been my role models – hopefully one day I can do something for medicine which can transform fertility or endocrine care!
What holds your interest beyond work
Music and spending time with my wife, Anuradha and daughter, Varada. Work-life balance is critical and there is no better time than the one I can devote to my family. We all love to travel and hope that we can add a few more countries to our list of ‘must visit’ places in future. I am an avid reader and there will always be a new paperback in my briefcase to give me company on way to work every day
Future plans
I will continue to strive to better my clinical and research skills so that I can offer the best possible evidence-based care to my patients. I hope to initiate or be part of large multicentre clinical trials in my areas of research. I wish to give back my expertise to people in Goa. Fertility and Menopause are areas of reproductive medicine which affect the lives of so many women (young and old) but these areas of healthcare in Goa are still lagging behind the world. It is my dream to be able to contribute to improving this aspect of the state’s healthcare in future, and train future generations of doctors who will work in this area of medicine in Goa and UK.
