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Arvindselvan Mohanaselvan MD, FACP

— OCCUPATION —
Internal Medicine/Geriatric Medicine Physician at Apex Medical Group
Associate Medical Director at New Bethany Nursing Home
Consultant Physician at Valley Spring Memory Care
Los Banos, CA

— MEDICAL SCHOOL —
Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India

— INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY —
HCA – Medical City Fort Worth, University of North Texas, TX

—GERIATRIC MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP—
UT Houston McGovern Medical School, TX

What is your current position?

Internal Medicine/Geriatric Medicine Physician at Apex Medical Group, Los Banos, CA; Associate Medical Director at New Bethany Nursing Home, Los Banos, CA; and Consultant Physician at Valley Spring Memory Care, Los Banos, CA.

Where did you attend medical school and post grad training?

Medical School: Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India

Residency: HCA–Medical City Fort Worth, University of North Texas, Fort Worth, TX

Fellowship: UT Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX

Why did you choose to become a physician?

Hailing from a family of physicians, joining the stream was all but certain. But my initial interest was not in medicine. I was interested in aeronautical engineering. During a trip to the USA while I was in the ninth grade, I got a chance to explore the workspace of a physician and saw the command a physician had over their craft while interacting with patients, the confidence that hovered around the physician everywhere they went, and the meaningful impact that they made in a patient's life. That confidence was the main factor that drove me to become a physician in the USA.

What field of internal medicine did you select and why?

During the second year of my residency, I was at a fork on my road—between oncology and geriatric medicine—for a fellowship option. Oncology was highly sought after and competitive, and geriatric medicine was fairly new. I wanted to make a difference, and—to make a difference for others—you should be ready to be different. In the words of Robert Frost, “I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” I got to work with some of the most amazing humans I have had the pleasure to have met in my life during fellowship, and it made me realize that everything happens for a reason. I have never been happier and more satisfied in my practice than I have been since I made my choice of geriatric medicine fellowship.

Please describe a typical day in your practice.

A typical day in my current practice as both an outpatient primary care physician and a geriatric medicine physician is a standard 8 to 5 workday. But what makes it interesting is that I typically use the first day of the week to visit the nursing home patients at the assisted living and memory care facility where I consult, and I have the fourth day of the week specifically for outpatient procedures like nonspinal injections and trigger point injections. I have it scheduled this way so that I do not get overwhelmed as it is very common to see a high volume of patients in the federally qualified health care facility where I currently work. The second and the third days of the week are extra special: I get to meet with medical representatives from pharmaceutical companies who bring in samples of highly sought after medications as they are a blessing to the Medicare patients who encompass almost 60% of my current patient demographic.

What are some of your special interests professionally?

Apart from mainstream medicine, my professional interests include aesthetic medicine procedures such as Botox and dermal fillers; IV nutrition therapies to combat common conditions such as fatigue, brain fog, and malnutrition; platelet-rich plasma or PRP therapy for hair fall treatment and facial rejuvenation; IV sclerotherapy for superficial varicose vein treatment; and MLS laser therapy for nonspinal joint pain management.

What are your interests and hobbies outside of medicine?

Physical fitness is one of my main interests outside of medicine as I feel having a sound body is equally as important as having a sound mind. My hobbies include using the Duolingo app to learn new languages, playing badminton, and spending time with my two dogs.

What advice would you like to share with medical students or what do you wish someone would have told you while you were in medical school?

One of the things that I wish someone would have told me while I was in medical school is a famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “It is not the destination, but the journey that makes it worthwhile.” I did stumble across it later in my life as a physician, and, even then, it made so much sense. The task of becoming a full-fledged physician might seem daunting while still at medical school but everybody gets to go through the process of starting somewhere. The only way to get to the top is to start at the bottom and with patience and perseverance, every dream and goal is achievable. One thing that I would like to tell a freshly starting medical student is, “Don't just focus on the big Wins. Take the small Wins and the Losses and keep swimming forward because if you don't, you will drown.”

Which talent would you most like to have?

Being a polyglot. Knowing multiple languages comes in handy and helps you connect with your patients on a deeper level.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Stop micromanaging. As someone who identifies with a Type A personality, I tend to find it difficult to delegate things for fear of them not being done to their entirety.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Making it this far in life, as everyone is fighting a battle that others know nothing about. Every new day is a blessing.

What is your motto?

“One step at a time” when I want to pace myself: take a step back and enjoy the roses on the way. “Sometimes you have to run before you can walk” when I question myself to see if I have what it takes.

Back to the October 2024 issue of ACP IMpact

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