Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam ( @sanjeev.sockalingam ) is the Senior Vice President of Education and Chief Medical Officer at CAMH ( @camhnews ), Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital. He is also Vice-Chair of Education and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto ( @uoft ), Scientific Director at Obesity Canada ( @obesitycanada ) and the author of more than 160 peer-reviewed publications.
Throughout his career, Dr. Sockalingam has worked as a psychiatrist, researcher, educator and healthcare executive. At the heart of that work has been a commitment to improving how healthcare is delivered, how mental health is understood and how future generations of physicians are trained.
He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how his childhood curiosity led him toward medicine, why interacting with Tamil immigrants drew him to the psychological side of care, remaining a humble clinician while leading at the highest levels of Canadian healthcare, the stigma surrounding mental health within the Tamil community, three ways AI could advance mental health research and why greater integration across Canada’s health services could improve the overall system.
He also shares the heartbreak of realizing that an NBA career was probably not in the cards.
If you are interested in mental health, medicine, leadership, innovation or how Canada’s healthcare system could improve, this episode is for you.
Follow Sanjeev:
– LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sockalingams/)
JOIN THE LIST – CLICK HERE
Timestamps
00:19 — Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sanjeev Sockalingam
01:31 — Sanjeev’s mother stimulated his curiosity in human biology
04:12 — Having parents who encouraged his exploration of different things
06:20 — What drew him to psychiatry/mental health over another specialty?
09:27 — The appeal of research, teaching, and leadership
13:09 — Working to remain an expert clinician and humble to be a better leader
14:48 — What still needs to change with mental health; Tamil stigmas and more
16:58 — Will AI help mental health research?
20:20 — What would Sanjeev change about Canada’s healthcare system?
23:19 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
24:50 — The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for by friends/family
26:55 — Creator Confessions
34:03 — The Wrap Up
Intro Music
Produced And Mixed By:
– The Tamil Creator
– Yanchan
Written By:
– Aravinthan Ehamparam
– Yanchan Rajmohan
