Dr Ravi Maharaj, Head of Clinical Surgical Sciences, writes a textbook of surgery for and by Caribbean people
Had he followed his original life plan, Dr Ravi Maharaj might have become an engineer, but after accompanying his sister to a doctor’s appointment, he was inspired.
He was inspired by the aura and competence that was exuded by the doctor they had visited, Surgeon Professor Vijay Naraynsingh. It was that moment of inspiration that led a young Ravi to promptly apply to UWI St Augustine’s Faculty of Medical Sciences. We can say that the rest is history, but Dr Ravi Maharaj is still making history with his recently published book Textbook of Surgery for Medical Students.
Dr Maharaj describes this book as “a textbook of surgery for us and by us”. As the Head of Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, the university examiner for the final MBBS examination in surgery, and a Senior Lecturer in Surgery, Dr Maharaj recognised a gap in the resources that were available for his students. In his years of studying in Trinidad and Tobago, England and India, he had never come across a surgery textbook that was written in the West Indies.
So, in 2023, with encouragement and support from his wife, he conceptualised the format of the book and began engaging with co-authors. After only about a year and half, in August 2024, his vision had fully materialised.
Born out of a passion for teaching, Dr Maharaj has brought together contributions from 107 local, regional and international experts in a publication that not only meets international standards, but that, more importantly, caters to the diverse local population. What makes this publication even more meaningful is the honour that Dr Maharaj had of co-authoring the first chapter of his first textbook with his mentor, Professor Naraynsingh.
He cites the President of the International Hepatopancreatobiliary Association, the Director of the Breast Cancer Centre at the University of Toronto, the President of the British Plastic Surgery Association, and the Regional Chief of Colorectal Surgery in New York as just some of the professionals who contributed chapters to the textbook. To cover diseases from the region, contributors from the various UWI campuses were called upon, and to ensure that the local diaspora was also represented, authors from India and Nigeria were also engaged.
Dr Maharaj acknowledges that it is not humanly possible for a doctor to know about every single disease, but highlights that his textbook identifies the common diseases affecting patients in the Caribbean, so that local doctors can be better trained in treating patients. The textbook was structured with the student in mind, and lays out the information in a manner that allows for easy assimilation of the vast amount of content.
The Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences now offers 11 postgraduate programmes, and it is his hope that his fellow academics will follow suit and publish textbooks to cover all specialities.
“It is important for us to document our work for the benefit of future generations,” he says.
Dr Maharaj shows genuine love for what he does:
“The intention of the textbook was never for commerce. This is not a money-making venture. I have always been very lucky to have had great teachers in my career, great surgeons such as David Josa, Deneash Ariyanayagam, Dilip Dan, Vijay Naraynsingh and Parul Shukla [who] have all influenced me and given of themselves. This is about giving back...giving back to this noble profession. It is letting the younger generation know that not everything is about money.”
In addition to the support from his family, his peers and his fellow practitioners, Dr Maharaj also acknowledges The UWI Research and Publication Fund, through which he was able to secure a grant to assist with the hardcopies of his textbook, which he will be distributing to his students at no cost. An electronic version of is also available on Amazon Kindle and Digital Canopi for international students. Dr Maharaj will also distribute electronic copies via his office to those who request it.
His office at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex can be contacted at 868-663-4319 or ravi.maharaj@sta.uwi.edu.
