Dr. Janine Saldanha is Senior Anesthesiologist at the Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary and Mass. General Hospital, Boston. She is also a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School.

She is the Past President and Trustee of the Indian Medical Association of New England. She started annual health fairs for the Underserved as President. She won the IMANE Community Service award in 2010. She is also the Past President and Trustee of Indian American Forum for Political Education, NE chapter

She has served as Chair of the Community Advisory Board for WGBH and has been part of the Governing Body and Executive Committee member of AAPI. She is the current President of the Friends of the Lynnfield Library. She and her executive committee have raised substantial monetary funds through fundraisers and hundreds of hours of volunteer work.

She has been on several international medical missions through Rotary International. She is a Trustee of the Boston Medical Library.  For the Mass. Medical Society, she serves as the delegate from Suffolk District. She is also the Chair of International Medical Graduates section and was vice-Chair of Ethics and Grievances committee. She is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists membership committee.

 

She has served as Lector and Eucharistic Minister in her church for many years.In 2012, she and her husband were invited to join the prestigious Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem founded in the 11th century and were anointed Papal Knight and Lady of Vatican State. She has a special audience with Pope Francis in 2013 on a pilgrimage to Rome with members of the Order.

She lives in Lynnfield, Ma with her husband Dr. Victor Saldanha.

They have three children: Monisha who lives in London with husband Debanjan and son Rishi, Alok who lives in Lexington, Ma with wife Carole and sons Rohan and Kirin and Reba who lives in Andover, MA with husband Kevin, daughter Asha and son Milo. 

My family tree has many physicians including my paternal grandfather, my maternal great-grandfather and grandmother,  and several uncles, aunts and cousins.  Listening to ttheir medical stories as a child, there was never any doubt  in my mind that I would like to become a doctor too when I grew up. The  biggest influence was my mother, who never flagged in her  encouragement and guidance.

       

I am an Anesthesiologist on staff at the Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary and Mass. General Hospital in Boston, on the Faculty of Harvard Medical School since the 1970’s, a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology and a Fellow of the Royal College of Anesthetists, London, UK.

      

Anesthesiologists are said to be the internists/intensivists of the operating room. We are an integral part of the OR team, and the patient’s life is literally in our hands during surgery. The human body is very complex so we have to keep up with many different medical fields in order to give a safe anesthetic. It is not uncommon today to have to anesthetize a patient with a heart transplant. Over the course  of many years, the spectrum of patients I have anesthetized ranges from elderly patients in their 90’s to premature babies, both with myriad medical problems e.g. on a Rotary International medical mission to Bolivia with my husband, also a physician and a Rotarian, very young patients with complex cleft palate defects and  burns,  who also were anemic and malnourished. Indigenous herbs in their diet could sometimes interact with anesthetic drugs in dangerous ways. It is challenging and gratifying to be able to help people.

         

Today, over 50% of  medical students are female, so it is not a novelty. In the 1970’s, when I joined the staff of MGH after my residency in London, less than 15% were female. I was the only Indian woman anesthesiologist, and there was only one Indian male anesthesiologist at MGH at the time. 

In addition, at age 25, many of the anesthesia residents I taught were older than me and towered over me, but I was respected by them. 

 My belief that one should always strive to do the best one can, and the constant encouragement and support of my husband Victor have been the major factors.  The many letters I have received from grateful patients thanking me for my “very compassionate and excellent care” also spur me on to do ever better.

        

I always encourage them to join this noble profession. I cannot think of a more altruistic and rewarding profession: that of helping people get better. Without good health, it is difficult for most people to realize their dreams. 

 I caution young women that it is a demanding field, and one that will impact their home life in countless unforeseen ways. However, if they truly want to  help people, it is the best and most satisfying profession.

I have mentored and advised many anesthesia residents and medical students over the years. Hopefully they will have the right attitude and make the world a healthier happier place. 

 

    

I believe the secret ingredient is a happy marriage, where each one respects and fully supports their spouse's decisions in all matters.

 Life was a little chaotic when our three children were young. We were both establishing our medical practices and getting involved with community work, but our children instinctively knew they were the center of our universe, both by our words and actions. We expected total trust on both sides and a satisfactory resolution to any differences of opinions after talking through the issue. As adults, they have thanked us for being such "great role models", and for giving them very good educations and life experiences when young e.g. one spent a summer doing field research with National Geographic in the Alaskan tundra, another spent a summer in China studying in Chinese and travelling the country in a supervised setting through his school (he still speaks the language very well), and the third spent a semester in Equador polishing her Spanish and her passion for photojournalism  -  she is now a professional photographer with her own studio in Andover, Ma.

They were always encouraged to open their minds to good ideas.  We may not have had “set" dinner times due to our busy schedules, but our children knew they were loved and valued above all else.

“No man is an island”,  which is why people have always clustered together as communities wherever they are.  It is important for like-minded people in a community to get together and form organizations when they have common interests, be they professional, social, political, charitable etc. Over the years, goals may change but organizations should always be supported when the goals are in the best interests of the community.

  

Where there is a will, there is a way!  Even as a busy physician and mother of three young children, I  was actively involved in community work on several boards.  I believe that holds true for anyone who really wants to  better our communities. It does take a major effort.  I can remember many nights with less than four hours sleep, not to mention nights and weekends in the hospital for emergency operations, but it can be done.  Our  children were involved in all sorts of school and extracurricular activities, and we did our fair share of carpooling. They were very understanding when we (usually Victor) could not attend the rare soccer match, concert or other event. It became a little easier when they opted to go to nearby boarding schools, but it could still be very hectic .

 

Pope Francis, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi to name a few   - all have been inspirational and untiring leaders in their fields and have the respect and gratitude of the world. 

My mother Dr. Dulcinea Rodrigues has been my role model, a stellar mother and true inspiration for my community service . As the wife of a senior Indian Railways officer and the mother of five, she managed his homes effortlessly and entertained  elegantly.    

     Her volunteer work was legendary:

*           She was appointed by the Vatican to represent Catholics from East Asia for two terms (6 yrs) on the Laity Council, which represented the views of lay people all over the world.  This Council met  twice a year for two weeks  with the corresponding Council of Bishops at the Vatican,. Here she got to  know Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland, who later became Pope  John Paul II. She served on panels with Mother Theresa of Calcutta and knew her well.

            She started and nurtured an elementary school for street children in south Bombay, for which she was honored by the Mayor of Bombay.  The school is thriving and has been recognized by the Maharashtra State Education Board.  Many of its graduates go to college.

*           She was vice-president of the World Union of Catholic Womens’ Organizations,  president of the Association of University Women,  the YWCA and  Girl Guides of India organizations and so much more!

    

All this required a lot of time, effort and travel. Her nickname is Joy, and her family started calling her Joy Marco Polo. She was away at the Vatican so often that her brothers teasingly called her Pope Joy!  

 

Above all, she always was, and is, a wonderful mother. She will be 92 years of age this September 2nd.  God bless you Mom and thank you!

 Male mentors/advisors  in my family include my husband, my father Swithen Rodrigues, my uncle Dr. Albert Heredia who was Professor of Preventive Medicine at Grant Medical Collge, Bombay and Prof. Keith Sykes, Head of Anesthesia at Hammersmith Hospital Post-Gradute Teaching Hospital in London, where I did my residency. Each in his own way supported, encouraged and helped me to be the person I am today 

Moral support and wise guidance in all my endeavors, and just as important,  sharing all the work at home, including cooking!  He is a fantastic chef,  especially French and Mediterranean cuisine, and enjoys experimenting.

 I think he should  be asked this:-)

 

Always look for the joyous, the uplifting and the beauty in each situation!  Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining.  I believe the optimist has a happier and more fulfilling life than the pessimist.

          

There are so many of them…   Sequentially, birthdays in different cities of my choice, since my birthday fell during the Divali vacation,  graduation from Medical School, my wedding day, the birth of our children, their happy marriages to great  partners, and the births of our  five grandchildren. More recently,  last September  we were on a pilgrimage to Rome with other members of our Order, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, which supports the Catholic Church in Palestine and the education and health of all children there.   We had a private audience with Pope Francis, which I will never forget.

Have faith in God, He will watch over you and help you through this.

Sad to say, no. My husband says that I have enriched several gyms up and down Route 1 near us:  each time I made a resolution to exercise regularly, I became a Life member of a gym, which unfortunately shut down shortly after!

 Do you have a spiritual routine that you would like to share? 

Spending "down time” at home and in church, wherever I am. This is “my time”,  to meditate and get refreshed

Again, no, apart from healthy food and hopefully more exercise in the future.

 Do you have favorite book/author?

  

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – an intelligent and astute observer of human behavior, culture and mores of early 19th century England, which still hold true today all over the world.

 

Schubert’s Ave Maria sung by the inimitable Luciano Pavarotti - one of the most beautiful and uplifting songs that I never get tired of hearing.

 I’m told my Goan Shrimp curry is very delicious!

 

We love to travel, sometimes with friends, and have been to every continent (except Antartica) at least twice. I’m told I am a fun traveling companion and tell jokes very well -  in fact, I got an award  at a Rotary comedy hour.

      

We pass by this way but once, so we should use our God-given talents to do the most good we can to help others less fortunate than us.