Former Glasgow Times columnist Dr Punam Krishan becomes first-time children's author

Now, with the publication of How to Be a Doctor and Other Life-Saving Jobs, she can add first-time children’s book author to that list.  

Speaking of how it feels to fulfil a lifelong dream, she said: “It’s been a real pinch me moment. There have been a lot of happy tears.

“I know that the magic of a good book can stay with you forever.

“We all remember reading something as kids that changed the way we went on to think.

“This is the kind of book that I wish I could have read when I was younger.”

How to Be a Doctor and Other Life-Saving Jobs is a colourful exploration of the huge amount of work that goes into making the country's healthcare system click.

Written for children between the ages of five and 11, the story aims to give readers an accessible introduction to the skills they needed for a career in the medical field.

Punam said: “For the last two years health is a topic that has been in children’s ears unlike ever before with big words like the pandemic or viruses.

“I wanted to think about how we could tap into that to inspire them rather than scaring them.

“There are so many different roles within healthcare that also save lives. It’s not just about doctors.

“There’s a real nod to receptionists, porters or mental health professionals to show what a team effort it all is.

"I think when you learn that early on it empowers you to study hard and know that no matter what profession of medicine you go into you’re still totally making it."

While years of experience as a GP make Punam a perfect go-to for practical advice, she says it was a surprise confidence boost from a young supporter that pushed her to pen her first book.

She said: “The very first shop we went into after the book was published, my little boy shouted ‘my mummy wrote that!’

“He’s the one who actually inspired me to write.

“A few years ago I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he turned the question around and asked me the same thing.

"I love being a doctor but one of my biggest dreams has always been to write.

"He just said 'why don't you?'

“From day one he’s been my biggest cheerleader.”

It's clear that Punam’s family hold a special place in the making of How to Be A Doctor.

However, an important goal for the mum of two was always to ensure that children from all walks of life could find a part of themselves reflected in its pages.

She said: “The book is full of diversity and every type of human being you could imagine, whether that’s a doctor who wears hearing aids or a wheelchair user.

"It's about true representation.

“With the help of my wonderful illustrator, Sol Linero, I think we’ve really brought that to life.

“I’m hoping that any kid that reads it believes that anything they want to do, they can achieve it.”

For more information on How to Be a Doctor and Other Life-Saving Jobs, click here.