Maverick Speaker Series: Dr.Sanjay Gupta

Tuesday, March 18, Ray and I enjoyed another UTA Maverick Speaker - Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Talking about Medicine and Media, Dr. Gupta is certainly qualified. He entered medical school at age sixteen. He's a neurosurgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine, and CNN's medical journalist. He also appears on 60 Minutes, and other news special shows.

Dr.Gupta discussed the importance of explaining medical issues in laymen's terms, and getting the word out about health benefits. He chose to work with CNN because, "I'm often in the midst of disaster, drawing on my years of training as a neurosurgeon. I hope my work gives people a context in which they can view medicine and health on a broader scale."

His mantra is do something each day that scares (i.e. challenges) you. He said speaking into a camera is far easier than chatting with an arena audience. However, it's rewarding to think you've helped people to think, broaden horizons, and consider new things. He challenged students to think outside the box.

One student asked a question about studies concerning the brain and art. Indeed, that's often the first mode of therapy - people respond to a song, or art after major neurosurgery. Dr.Gupta emphasized there's a lot of research to be done and encouraged the student to pursue any avenue.

UTA Maverick Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Dr.Sanjay Gupta was an interesting speaker, with a pleasant sense of humor. He engaged with the audience, and seemed to put a lot of thought into the Q/A. It was an entertaining and enlightening evening.