Dr Praveen Kumar
04 March 2025
•5 min read
My career journey in psychiatry so far
Hello. I'm Praveen, and I work in the NHS as a child and adolescent psychiatry higher trainee. The decision to become a psychiatrist was not something I had planned from the beginning.
I attended medical school in India, where I was captivated by obstetrics and gynaecology. The resilience of mothers during childbirth deeply inspired me, and I believed that delivering babies would be my lifelong career.
Global outbreak of coronavirus
My career journey took a significant turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. I found myself thrust into a completely different role, managing quarantine centres in Kuala Lumpur. This experience was eye-opening! I encountered people who, in addition to their physical symptoms, were also affected by the pandemic's mental and emotional toll.
In March 2020, travelled to the UK just before the country entered lockdown. I had planned to take an exam that would open doors to work in Australia. Instead, I found myself stranded with no job, no income, and no way to return home. I was eating sandwiches every other day just to make my money last. Life was challenging.
Becoming curious about a career in psychiatry
During this difficult time, I met psychiatrists through the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. They helped over 200 stranded doctors like me to gain shelter in different hostels throughout the UK.
I was struck by their compassion, attentiveness, and the way they truly listened to our stories. They weren’t just treating symptoms. They connected with us on a human level too, offering comfort in a time of great uncertainty.
The experience made me curious about psychiatry. I saw a similarity between the resilience I had admired in the mothers I once helped and the resilience in the human spirit that psychiatrists nurture.
Living and working in the Highlands of Scotland
I applied for a psychiatry training post and to my surprise, I excelled in the entrance exams. I started my core psychiatry training with NHS Highland and began studying for the Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists exams.
It turned out I had a knack for it. The skills I'd developed in my previous roles—the ability to connect with people, to listen deeply, and to stay calm in crisis situations—all translated well into psychiatry.
Walking plushie toys
When I moved to the Highlands, the air was fresh, and the people were incredibly friendly. I could see the Northern Lights right from my window.
As a Southeast Asian from the tropics, I was fascinated with all the sheep! I was so fascinated by them that I ended up renting a place overlooking the hills, with sheep just outside my window. Then there were the Highland cows, which I thought weren't real. They looked like walking plushie toys.
I hit it off with my neighbours, and they introduced me to Scottish whisky on Burns Night, complete with haggis. The ceilidh events were a blast, and I found myself in the local bars sipping orange juice almost every weekend, tapping my feet to country music with fiddle and accordion. It was such a merry place.
Setting up an online study group
I started an online study group with other international doctors I’d met on Facebook who were also preparing for the MRCPsych exams. I was still a bit shy about my English back then, so it was a way to connect with people who spoke like me. We'd meet for a couple of hours every evening and before I knew it, the little group morphed into something much bigger.
My dear friend Dr Mohammad Hindeyeh and I run a group called MedPsychKH every Saturday. We started with just 20 people in September 2020, and now we've got over 1,600 psychiatrists from more than 8 countries! We teach them how to ace the MRCPsych exams and host webinars on career improvement and research. It's become this big thing. But most importantly, I made many interesting and wonderful friends and mentors from the group.
Progression to psychiatry higher training
Now, as a higher trainee in child and adolescent psychiatry at NHS Grampian, I work primarily with young people and their families, addressing a range of mental health issues that affect children and adolescents. This includes the following conditions:
- autism spectrum disorders
- depression
- anxiety
- trauma-related conditions
My role is to assess young people and develop treatment plans that often involve medical and therapeutic interventions. I work closely with families to ensure that the child’s needs are met both at home and in school. I also provide support and guidance to parents, helping them understand their child’s condition and how they can best support their development. When I complete higher training, my goal is to become a consultant psychiatrist.
Helping to shape a young person’s future
Mental health issues in children and adolescents can have long-lasting effects on their development and future well-being. Early intervention is key to preventing these issues from becoming more severe and to helping young people lead fulfilling lives. I see my role as helping to shape a young person’s future by providing them with the tools they need to navigate their mental health challenges.
The stories of resilience and strength that I hear from my patients often make me smile. Even in the face of adversity, they find ways to keep going, and witnessing that resilience is both humbling and uplifting. It’s a reminder of the incredible capacity for growth and recovery that exists within all of us.
Why I love working in the NHS
The NHS embodies a spirit of inclusivity and equality, ensuring that mental health care is accessible to all, including the most vulnerable members of society. It also values the dignity and wellbeing of every individual. This aligns perfectly with my own values and is the reason I chose this profession. I’m proud of the fact that in the NHS, we don’t just treat symptoms, we treat and care for people.
I genuinely feel like I’m making a positive difference in people’s lives. Helping a child manage their anxiety so they can attend school, supporting a teenager through depression, or guiding a family through the complexities of a mental health diagnosis gives me a sense of purpose. The care and support I provide today can have lasting positive effects on a young person’s future.
My passion for psychiatry
What drives me in my career is my belief in the resilience of the human spirit, especially in young people. They have an incredible capacity for recovery and growth, and being able to nurture that resilience keeps me going, even on the tough days. Every story I hear, every challenge a patient overcomes, and every small victory along the way fuels my passion for this work.
In a way, I feel like I'm still doing what drew me to medicine in the first place. Whether delivering babies in Malaysia or helping a young person overcome their mental health challenges, it's all about witnessing and nurturing incredible human resilience. The context is different, but the core of what I do—helping people through some of the most challenging times of their lives—is still the same.
What my career journey has taught me
Looking back, my career path turned out very differently than I anticipated. However, sometimes, the most meaningful and fulfilling careers are those that you never planned for. My journey has taught me to remain open to new opportunities and to let curiosity and compassion guide my path.
Every twist and turn in my career has shaped who I am as a psychiatrist. Delivering babies in a busy hospital in Malaysia taught me about resilience and the strength of the human spirit. My time working with refugees in Malaysia gave me insights into trauma and cultural differences that I still use every day.
Psychiatry needs diverse voices and experiences
If you’re interested in a career as a psychiatrist, my best advice is don't be afraid to take that leap. You’ll have the privilege of connecting with people on a deeply human level. It's not just about understanding mental health conditions—it's about understanding people, their experiences, and their resilience.
Your previous experiences, whatever they may be, can bring a unique perspective to this field. Your life journey so far could be exactly what makes you an exceptional psychiatrist.