Question & Answer with Assoc Professor Ravi Bala

Dr Ravi Bala

Dr Ravi Bala is a Consultant Paediatrician at Leading Steps Paediatrics.

Each week we answer questions about our paediatricians.
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What drew you to medicine, and then to Paediatrics?

 When I was nine years old my mum had an accident while we were holidaying in India.

It was one of the scariest experiences I’ve ever been through, added to by the fact that we were in a foreign country and couldn’t speak the language.

The hospital was terrifying and I remember feeling extremely anxious.

But most of all I remember the doctor holding my shoulder and reassuring me that ‘everything was going to be ok’. Amongst all the chaos, I remember how calm and empowered the doctor made us feel.

Ever since then I knew that I wanted to do medicine, so that I could give back to the community, and perhaps, even in some small way, help families feel more calm, confident and empowered as they journey through some of the scariest and most uncertain times of their lives.

I started medicine thinking I wanted to be an eye surgeon! I was fascinated by the work they do and I don’t think I ever really thought about paediatrics in the first few years of medical school.

When I was in my 3rd year of medical school I remember being on a placement in a special care nursery, and a nurse asked me to help hold and settle a baby while they tended to another baby.

I initially felt very uncomfortable holding a little baby in my arms. The baby was distressed but after a minute or so, he settled down and laid comfortably in my arms. Within a few seconds a wave of happiness came over me and I thought ‘this is the coolest job in the whole world!’

From that point on I never again thought about being an eye surgeon and instead knew that I wanted to help sick children and babies for the rest of my life.

What is your favourite thing about being a Paediatrician?

Children and babies are incredibly tough and resilient and they inspire me every day. Their innocence and fun-loving nature bring so much hope and joy not only to their families but to everyone they come into contact with.

Moreover, every child is truly unique and has so much energy and potential to offer the world. I love meeting babies, children, adolescents and their families, learning about what makes them unique and special and improving their health so that they can reach their full potential.

It’s an incredibly humbling experience to watch a child grow and achieve their goals both in health and in their personal goals.

Plus, I can’t think of many other jobs in the world where you can have fun with your patients, blow bubbles, do art and craft and tell cringe worthy dad-jokes and still call it ‘work’. It’s pretty awesome.

What toy or object do you use/recommend to distract or entrain babies/young kids when you want them to sit still?

 OOH this is a hard one! So many to choose from! I think my general approach is to try and develop rapport with the child from the time they walk into the room. Coming to the paediatrician must feel pretty nerve wracking for a lot of our patients, so I start by trying to make them feel comfortable in the room and showing them all the cool things that there are to play with.

I personally love getting children to do some drawing.  I love seeing the imaginative things they come up with! Besides drawing I guess you can’t go wrong with good old bubbles!!!

And as much as I’d like to forget it and never ever hear it again, you’ve got to admit ‘baby shark’ can definitely get a child sitting still, even if it plays over and over in your head for the rest of the day!

How would you describe yourself as a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was an absolute angel of course! Don’t ask my parents though, they might have a completely different answer!

I was a pretty reserved and nerdy child from memory. I wasn’t particularly chatty or sporty, but I did love hanging out with my friends. My older brother was always really studious and hardworking, as were my parents so I think they instilled a lot of the same values in me.

My favourite past-time as a child was watching movies with my older brother. I loved being transported to another world when watching a movie and was always amazed at how they were made. Prior to wanting to do medicine I’m pretty sure I dreamed about making my mark as a big shot Hollywood director one day! You’ll never know, dreams can still happen, right?!

Why did you choose the Gold Coast to live and work?

My wife and I absolutely love the lifestyle on the Gold Coast. I grew up in Sydney where life was always really fast-paced, everywhere felt so packed with people, getting anywhere took a really long time and most frustratingly, sitting in standstill traffic felt like an every-day ordeal. 

I love the more laid back and easy-going vibe on the Gold Coast. It’s a wonderful, growing city that has a great blend of being close to nature with beautiful beaches, rainforest and excellent walks, all while having the creature comforts of a city, and with significantly less traffic!! I think it’s a great place for children to grow up, receive an excellent education, be able to access world class health care and, very importantly, take part in all the wonderful outdoor activities that the Gold Coast has to offer. 

Do you prefer the rainforest hinterland or the beach?

 Though I like both, I would definitely choose the beach. There’s no better feeling for me than taking our dog for a walk along the beach in the afternoon. It’s so relaxing and I can never get tired of the views. And I’m pretty sure our dog thinks it’s the best thing in the whole world. He’s a Siberian husky so I can’t imagine it’s his natural habitat, but he explodes with excitement and happiness every time he’s there.

 I think that’s what makes the Gold Coast is so unique. You can go for a stroll among some of the world’s best beaches, indulge in awesome bakeries throughout the coast and immerse yourself in a beautiful rainforest walk, and that’s all before lunch time! There’s something for everyone.

What has been the most significant change/breakthrough in Paediatrics in the last few decades?

I’m excited but the evolution and melding of medicine and technology. I recently attended a paediatric rehabilitation conference where some incredible clinicians and researchers spoke about BCI (Brain Computer Interfacing) technology for children with serious, lifelong disorders of the brain, such as cerebral palsy and acquired brain injuries.

Children with severe forms of these conditions often cannot talk, walk, or operate a wheelchair, and their ability to communicate with others can be incredibly difficult. Unfortunately, in many of these conditions there is no cure, and therapy is geared at improving and maintaining their function.

Scientists and engineers have begun developing BCI technology that can actually translate a patient’s thoughts into action!! They showed videos of children with severe cerebral palsy in a wheelchair who were fitted with BCI technology, and just by the child thinking about moving, their wheelchair would move in the child’s chosen direction. BCI technology is slowly being utilised in areas of language development, so that patients who previously went unheard, may one day be able to communicate and speak, just by thinking about it!! It’s fascinating!! Watch this space! 

What is top of your bucket list when travel returns in the future?

My wife and I love hiking and nature. There are some incredible national parks in the US and Canada that we have had on my bucket list for a really long time. I’d love to visit some of them, immerse myself in the beautiful nature, see some amazing sunsets, hopefully see some wildlife and disconnect from technology for a while! Hopefully we can all get the chance to travel overseas soon! But until then, we are so lucky to have some incredible nature spots right here in Australia. I am loving the opportunity to check them out!

What is your secret skill?

 It might seem a bit embarrassing, but I can knit. Not very well, but adequately! My mum is incredible with sewing, arts and craft and I suspect it probably rubbed off a bit on me! Many years ago, I used to knit teddy bears (known as trauma teddies) for sick children in hospital. I’m sure it’d take me a lot longer to make another one nowadays, but I’m sure I’d pick it up again pretty easily!