Tushar Mishra, MD

Tushar Mishra, MD, is the chief interventional cardiology fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY). Growing up in a small town in India the son of a general surgeon, Mishra studied medicine at Sardar Patel Medical College (Bikaner, India), and came to the US for training in internal medicine and cardiology at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center (Detroit, MI). He has more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and enjoys serving as a community health volunteer with a focus on lifestyle interventions like smoking cessation. Mishra would like to continue performing research with a focus on device innovation as well as CVD prevention.

 

What first motivated you to become a physician?

In India, the decision to become a physician essentially happens during 10th grade. I was 16 years old at the time. My best friend, who's still my very good friend, said he wanted to be in medicine, and I just wanted to hang out with him, so I said I’d do medicine too. And then he quit, and I stayed. That's how it first happened.

My dad is a general surgeon, and he advised me against it since it has such a long training. But I saw him being highly respected in society, and I admired that. Additionally, I like challenges and medicine keeps me pushing my limits. But it wasn’t until the final stage of medical college that I realized all the reasons why I wanted to have a career in medicine. I realized that what makes medicine so great is the fact that you’re able to help a fellow human in that hour of suffering. We are all social animals, essentially, and we all want this connection. That's what has driven us forward as a species. And in medicine, you work with amazing teams to provide care. That’s what made medicine worth all the long hours of training and years of hard work.

What first piqued your interest in coming to the US to train?

I think it was during my final year of medical college in India. I learned how training in the US is often more research-focused than in India, where the focus of training is primarily clinical. Research there, at least from what I saw, was never at the forefront. So, in the US, we get this good balance, and that appealed to me.

Also, it's such a melting pot here. The brightest minds from throughout the world come to collaborate and work together for a common cause. Thirdly, I've always been fascinated with the culture in the US. People overall are driven and motivated. And I just wanted to witness this myself. I didn't have any family here at the time, but I met my wife during this journey, and it has been quite an adventure that I’m loving so far.

What has it been like for you growing up and starting your training in one country and then moving to a different one?

It’s been challenging. I did not realize at the time that it would uproot my social life. Trying to plant that into a new country in your mid-20s is not easy. There have been so many ups and downs over the past 9 years, and I've learned so much. But at the same time, what I also realized is I bring a new perspective to this health system. I've seen a lot of value of resourcefulness, and the academic rigor is also very highly regarded. If I plan to work in a more of a global setting, hopefully working in India again in the future, I'll bring a new perspective to Indian healthcare as well. If I had to do it all again, I think I'd do it the same way.

Now that you’ve reached the last year of your training, what are some of your long-term career goals?

I want to be the best interventional cardiologist possible for me. That's why I had a priority to train at the best possible place and later work in a system where, besides focusing on the interventions, I am able to help patients prevent disease either from happening in the first place or from having a second event. I want to use the latest advances in behavioral science, exercise, sleep, and pharmacotherapy.

Personally, I've been a patient myself and I've had a major illness. I had an amazing team of nurses and physicians who took care of me, and it just helps me value healthcare from this perspective. I want to build a team or work in a team where we can provide an excellent experience for the patient right from the moment when they first contact us. They're coming in with the suffering and we take care of everything else.

Do you have any research goals?

Research was one of the reasons that that led me to come to the US. I would love to work on device development. Other than that, I'll also focus my research on lifestyle modification—for example, smoking cessation, exercise, and sleep.

What has surprised you the most about becoming an interventional cardiologist?

On my first day of medical college, our first lecture was about the cardiac cycle, and it was then I knew that I wanted to be a cardiologist. The decision to become an interventional cardiologist was after my first rotation in the cath lab. Compared to other fields, it's a very demanding specialty. I didn't at first understand why people would, say, be here at 6am, put in these long years of training and long hours of work. I always thought I'd go for an imaging fellowship and have a better work-life balance. But once I got in the cath lab and I saw the motivation in the physicians and the team do the best for the patient, I wanted to learn everything. There is so much new coming in the field. That's when I understood what I wanted to do. I found that inspiring, just how highly motivated and driven interventional cardiologists can be.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing interventional cardiology fellows today?

I think it's understanding where exactly to draw the line. As cardiologists, we want to do everything. Complex coronaries, the structural field, and peripheral interventions are all fascinating. There are so many things to do as an interventional fellow: be a clinician educator, do research, spend time with family, have hobbies, and travel. It's been a challenge for me finding the balance of where exactly to focus on what I'm going to do. That’s a great thing about human life—there are so many things to do. That’s a positive thing, but at the same time, finding that line is going to be different for everybody.  Having mentors who help you find your best life is important.

Another challenge is managing this flood of knowledge and information you’re given. There are so many new studies coming out. The field is already so broad, and trying to distill every piece of information and trying to focus on the relevant and keeping up with new information is hard.

What do you hope to accomplish this year?

I want to have as much of a singular focus as possible. I want to do the least amount of other things and dedicate myself to my training. I want to master this skill. I have to be present, I have to see, and I have to perform. 

Who has had the biggest impact on your career? 

My biology teacher in 10th grade, Ms. Meena Singh. The way that she described biology and taught us is what first fascinated me. Also, my computer science teacher back in school Ms. Sabina Franklin. You just need one person to tell you that you can do it. Ms. Franklin really believed in me. I moved from a small town to a big city for my school, and as I was trying to build confidence, she had faith in me. That has carried me forward, especially in coming to a new country and trying to establish myself over here.

What is something people might not know about you?

I've been playing guitar since 2008. One of my uncles gifted me one when I cleared the exam to get into medical college. But recently I had the opportunity to record two songs for a friend’s band. I'm not a professional, but I enjoy it and I've been playing almost every day.

What else do you like to do in your free time?

I love music, in general. I also love running and nature photography. I enjoy spending time with my wife, who is a hematology-oncology fellow. We met in India, and both of us are the first ones from our families to come to the US. It's been an exciting journey overall.

What his nominator, Chadi Alraies, MD (Detroit Medical Center, MI), says:

He exemplifies the qualities of a dedicated and motivated cardiology fellow. Tushar leads by example, demonstrating discipline, conscientiousness, and a deep commitment to patient-centered care. His compassionate approach, coupled with strong leadership skills and a focus on primary prevention and lifestyle modification, makes him a true role model for the cardiology community. He has mentored many medical students, residents, and fellows and his ability to guide his peers sets him apart as a standout fellow.

 

To nominate a stellar cardiology fellow for the Featured Fellow section of TCTMD’s Fellows Forum, click here.