Sanjay Gupta didn’t intend to have two consuming careers.
After graduating from University of Michigan Medical School, Gupta entered into a residency program in neurosurgery. As he worked toward becoming a full-time doctor, he developed an interest in health reporting.
“I thought I would be covering health policy issues,” the practicing physician and senior CNN medical correspondent said Thursday evening. “But then September 11 happened, and I started reporting on people who neither lived nor died, but rather were somewhere in between.”
Gupta, also an Emory University assistant professor of neurosurgery, spoke to a crowd that nearly filled Ryan Family Auditorium’s main floor, discussing the connection between his journalistic and medical responsibilities. South Asian Student Alliance sponsored the lecture.
In 2003 Gupta joined CNN’s news team and served as a correspondent in Iraq and Kuwait. While covering the events overseas, he performed brain surgery several times, once on an Iraqi toddler whose family was killed by military fire.
“I took off my journalist’s cap and put on my surgeon’s cap,” Gupta said. “(Being in Iraq) helped me see the reality of war. It’s not just military people who are killed; it’s also innocent civilians.”
The child, who suffered a bullet wound to the head, died a few hours after leaving surgery.
Abhishek Lahoti, SASA’s education chairman, said he admired Gupta’s confidence and professional prowess.
“I really liked when he talked about when he was on the field (covering the Iraqi war),” the Weinberg junior said. “He did his duty when he was a journalist, and he knew when it was time to be a doctor. He showed no second-guessing.”
Although Gupta’s acts have been hailed as heroic by many Americans, others doubt whether the doctor’s engagement in events allows him to report objectively, he told the audience. But Gupta said he remains skeptical of journalists who show no signs of connection to the people and events they cover.
“It bothers me when journalists don’t react,” he said. “They are too objective. It leaves the reader wondering if the issue is really important. Some of these are terrible stories. How could you not be affected by what you are seeing?”
Journalists often have the opportunity to pique public interest and even effect change through compassionate reporting, Gupta said.
“Sometime just one story can cause a cascade of events,” he added. “People don’t care about the numbers, but if you tell the story of an individual, you can really interest people.”
Lahoti said SASA decided to invite Gupta after searching for a speaker to whom students could relate.
“We wanted to dive into something (students) really planned to go into,” Lahoti said. “There are a lot of pre-med students here, and a lot of people are really interested in him.”
Gupta was named one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive” in 2003 and was awarded the 2004 Atlanta Press Club’s “Journalist of the Year” award. He juggles medical news segments, a health column for Time magazine and a neurosurgery practice in Atlanta.
“I fell in love with him tonight,” said Weinberg junior Nimarta Singh, laughing. “I’m amazed by the fact he’s a neurosurgeon and also in the media. It’s very appealing.”
The journalist serves as a role model for some students because of his dual careers.
“I knew him from CNN,” said Weinberg freshman Rajal Patel, a pre-medical student. “I identify with him because I want to have a dual career in business.”
Reach Allison Bond at [email protected].
