Chapter 14: Seattle CME Chronicles!
Continuous Medical Education in Seattle!
It was Friday morning, and trying to finish the errands and drop off Arjun (my youngest son) at the bus stop for school regularly at 7 am. I had a flight to catch, and without doing my exercise routine of 1 mile a day, I had to skip to prepare for the flight. I booked Lyft as it is tied to my Chase card. Ali gave me a ride to the airport; the ride was smooth, and it was a smaller car than I expected. I was surprised when it said priority pickup; I expected to be riding in an SUV, but it turned out that the type of car didn't matter—what truly mattered was reaching the destination on time.
Global Entry/ TSA Pre is a godsend for frequent travelers. No rushing inside the Airport; TSA Pre always made me feel like a VIP. I was about to embark on the journey to Seattle to speak about Optimal Health and Longevity. The flight started to Seattle, and I got comfortable seats as I had to pay extra to get a premium seat; anything on the flight is a price you pay. I laughed out loud, remembering the recent live show by Trevor Noah, lambasting the airline industry. I had to pay for my baggage, and I thought premium economy would get me free bags, but I was wrong (Aiyo!). I got the excellent, comfy seats in the premium economy again, with a VIP-like feeling(still ongoing).
Usually, on the domestic flights, I go economy and mostly get an aisle seat because if you are 6'2", You can dangle one of your feet in the aisle. As one can imagine, seats are shortened yearly to accommodate more people. The square inch of the flight has not changed, but several seats go up every year(again, the irony of the 21st-century flying). For the first time, the Wifi was working perfectly; even the middle seat in the premium economy felt like royalty(flying Alaskan Air, middle row is safe, I thought, after what happened mid-air debacle of the door). I also had enough time to take care of the paperwork from the office. Typically, only a little work is done on the airplane. But this time, it was adorable to accomplish some of the previous day's work.
I arrived for the first time in Northwest City, where Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing (no whistleblower here) called their home as per the proud driver who picked us up from the airport. We were told to come to baggage area 7, where everyone coming to the convention from different regions of the US and International destinations was arriving and were coordinated by the convention staff at the airport baggage area. There were some mishaps in picking us up, but we finally coordinated with other staff members and got into the van. The driver was ranting about the conventions, as he owns the rental car business and how these big companies organize significant events in the city.
Looking outside, Seattle was at its best, as pictured by non-Seattlers. It was rainy and gloomy and felt like England all over again. A long time ago, I used to visit my wife(then a Junior doctor before moving to the US) in a beautiful town in the northern part of England called Durham. This small, quaint city was lovely, but there was only one thing common between these two places. People just don't tell about the English weather on a whim. Now, I am living in that gloomy part of the weather in Seattle. Finally, I was at ease; this is what was expected. We were dropped at the Hotel.
Hyatt Hotel is beautiful next to the Seattle Convention Center and downtown. We arrived early at the Hotel, and checking in was a few hours later. The committee staff arranged for lunch; it was a typical South Indian food, with carbs (heavy use of rice) and curries, as I like to call them. After the scrumptious meal, we headed to the lobby, waiting for the keys to be given to the room as we were early. Everyone was waiting in the lobby. By this time, we were just chatting about old times and friends. Finally, my text came. The room was ready before the check-in time, and I felt happy as though, you know what (Royalty!). Sometimes, we just have to cherish these small moments; They don't have to be only materialistic things but small things like early check-in or moving to a premium economy (Ah!).
I forgot the actual reason in the Seattle area was to give the CME(Continuous Medical Education) speech to fellow doctors and convention goers. So, back in the room, I just eased up and lay around. Rooms were comfortable and clean, with a view of Seattle Downtown. I have done some remote discussions lately but have not done live ones since the pandemic. I have been writing medical blogs lately to spread awareness about preventing disease. I was excited about doing my longevity talk.
The convention was TTA, a Telangana American Telugu Association, initially named TATA. However, we were told they had to change the name due to copyright infringement issues. It's a convention for Indian expats hailing from Telangana, and Hyderabad(the capital of the south-central city in India) is the capital. Since 1990, tech has opened up in India, and the southern cities of India have competed with each other for software exports and become the labor force for American tech companies. Due to the opportunity and need, American companies started to hire from the elite Indian schools, and the wave of techies from Southern India made their way to the land of opportunity.
Fast forward to today, Indian expats living in the US have formed a vibrant and close-knit community. They organize large conventions to rekindle the spirit of their heritage and engage in meaningful activities through local chapters. These efforts not only support those in need but also maintain a strong connection to their homeland. Indian Americans are 1.35% of the population and pay more than 6 % of taxes, which means that hard work and a solid foundation in education get them ahead. The foundation of vital education is the key to the success of the Indian Americans and continues to be instilled in the kids of this generation.
Indian Americans are 1.35% of the US population and pay more than 6 % of taxes.
The evening was banquet night; dignitaries from all backgrounds graced the Occasion. It was the award ceremony; Dr. Nandini Sunkireddy and multiple other leaders were felicitated by the TTA organization. The event was nothing less than spectacular. We had a great time mingling with the who's who at the convention. It was an evening full of ceremonies intermingling with awards. Some of the distinguished personalities from India have come to witness the celebrations, including politicians, actors, businessmen, and doctors, to name a few. After dinner, we head back to the Hotel to rest for the evening.
The next day, CME day, Some of our other Physician friends came overnight, and we all met at breakfast to discuss the day's events, as our CME was at 2 pm. We were excited to participate and educate those who wanted to benefit from the talks. Before CME, We headed to Dr. Pal Manickam's speech at MedCom, the gastroenterologist who rose to fame and has more than 4 million followers on social media. He started making social media reels during the pandemic, spreading like wildfire. His secret sauce was a niche in creating funny and educational videos so ordinary people could understand. He was gracious enough to talk to us and give us valuable life lessons.
It was time for the CME. Dr. Cheese Reddy, or M.S. Reddy, is well-known in microbiology, has multiple patents(more than>160), and has been awarded numerous awards. He was influential in the cheese-making process; hence, Cheese Reddy had a few ideas about COVID-19, how it can eradicate transmission, and how probiotics are the key to improving the disease. He had a scientific basis and excellent lecture and shed light on the microbiological aspects of the disease. His idea was to consume sour buttermilk or Kimchi; the more sour the substance, the better for the gut. I am not sure I will run with it, but it does help in the process of a healthy lifestyle.
Later, Dr. Nandini Sunkireddy, CME chair, spoke about Obesity; she is board-certified in Lifestyle, Obesity, and Family practice, has done various community activities, and has been one of the vocal figures in the Indian American Physician Community in Atlanta; she helped to design this CME program and bought us all together. Dr. Raja Sappati Biyyani, an Advanced GI specialist practicing in Atlanta, discussed Colon cancer screening with an emphasis on the South Asian Population in the US. According to him, there is a significant gap in the undergoing screenings in these populations. However, studies show that small adenomas(pre-cancerous lesions) are higher in the Asian population. Dr. Santosh Devarapally, a cardiologist from Charlotte, gave another tremendous presentation and talked about preventing heart disease in South Asian patients. There is a need to prevent premature heart disease, as South Asians have alarming rates of heart disease deaths(India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan). Aggressive screenings need to be done in these populations to prevent the sudden onset of heart disease. Dr. Kalyan Mogili, a Hospitalist from Charlotte, has talked about acute confusion in the elderly, an exciting topic, as it sheds light on elderly patient confusion, more familiar with simple things, everyday things are more common, eradicate those they get better without much-needed medications. Dr. Prathima Prodduturi, oncology, gave an excellent talk about breast cancer screenings. Nulliparity has a very high risk of Breast cancer, and so is late pregnancy. Also, according to the ACS(American Cancer Society), screening for mammograms in the general population is biennial unless there is a high risk after 45. It was my talk about optimizing health and longevity(please read Chapters 9 and 13) to spread health awareness and what it needs to achieve. The medical symposium was excellent, and I am proud to be part of it. Finishing the CME took slightly longer than anticipated, but I added some grey matters.
After an early dinner, we head to evening cultural activities. This is when local groups perform traditional dances, fashion shows, and celebrity showcases, and political leaders pitch to support their party and request them to invest back in their homeland. It was a night of fun-filled activities. The night ended with a musical Extravaganza with the band called Threeory. It is a compilation of music, the Old and the New. Classical Indian music meets the rock. The place rocked with music; people jumped with joy once the music started. Mainly in Telugu (one of the fastest-growing languages in the US). His music touched the hearts of the conventiongoers and enthralled hundreds of people.
The next day was the day to head back; chatting and spending time with other physician colleagues during the three days was fun. I learned a lot during these three days. I left with some fond memories of colleagues and their talks: Dr. Paul Manickam, Threeory Band (excellent), gloomy Seattle (will be remembered as such until next), Dr. Cheese Reddy, food, and cultural events showcasing Indian heritage in America. I commend TTA for an extraordinary, well-organized event.
Suman Manchireddy MD FACP FHM, Internal Medicine, Leesburg, VA.
Email : Care@ReliantMD.com
Disclaimer: This is purely informational and educational purposes only, seek medical advise prior to starting any testing or treatment regimen. The data presented here is researched extensively and has been condensed for a broader audience.
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.