Dharam Persaud-Sharma is an anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician.

In-flight medical emergencies: Are planes prepared?

Conditions
January 3, 2026

The cabin was quiet in that familiar, suspended way airplanes always are with a steady engine hum, passengers absorbed in movies, sleep, and anticipation with the intermittent crying child. It was an ordinary flight. Until it wasn’t. The overhead speaker crackled without warning. “If there is a doctor on board, please identify yourself.”

The voice was calm. The effect was not. Just a row behind me, a child no more than …

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In-flight medical emergencies: Are planes prepared?

How a doctor defied a hurricane to save a life

Physician
August 24, 2025

It begins with thunder. Not just the kind that splits the sky, but the kind that settles into the chest — low, rolling, remembered. It’s been years since the hurricane, but each crack of lightning still pulls my body into defense. I never used to be afraid of storms. Now, my body remembers before my mind does.

That night, I was post-call. Exhausted, planning to ride out the storm the way …

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How a doctor defied a hurricane to save a life

A tribute to Kobe Bryant: inspiration beyond the game

Physician
April 15, 2025

Kobe Bryant’s impact on my life and career stretches far beyond the basketball court. The essence of his spirit—his commitment to excellence, his relentless pursuit of mastery, and his unyielding work ethic—has inspired me not only in the game of basketball but in the field of medicine as well.

Kobe came into my life as Michael Jordan was leaving the game. While I was fortunate enough to witness the latter half …

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A tribute to Kobe Bryant: inspiration beyond the game

A doctor’s broken heart: lessons learned from a failed relationship

Physician
June 4, 2024

It was something out of an Indian Bollywood movie. My best friend, Raj, found a girl he liked and was completely captivated by her. We had never seen Raj with such a glow – but for our group of friends, we knew something was different with Raj, and I dare say he was in “love.” For reference, he is the kind of man who is honest, loyal, trustworthy, and …

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A doctor’s broken heart: lessons learned from a failed relationship

Preventive medicine requires us to lead by example

Physician
October 5, 2015

I always wondered what the saying “the apple falls so closely to the tree” meant. I never bought into the concept of similar cliché sayings of “like father like son” or “mother like daughter.”  I viewed these ideas as being founded upon by poorly defined concepts of traits and inheritance. Such notions completely undermine the ideology of “I think, therefore I am” as coined by Rene Descartes. I maintain that …

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Preventive medicine requires us to lead by example

The civic responsibility of physicians in our community

Physician
June 22, 2014

It was just a regular hot and humid Saturday morning in Miami, and I was on my way out of a local Walmart after buying a few items. As I walked to my car at the end of the parking lot, I heard a voice asking me “Son, any change?” In a neighborhood that is known to have a disproportionately large amount of vagrants, I did what I usually do …

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The civic responsibility of physicians in our community