Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XIII, Issue I - Spring 2019 | Page 22

In 1975, Dr. Musunuru receiving a gold
medal at his graduation from medical school.
Q:
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A
PHYSICIAN?
A:
I didn’t, my grandmother did. As
customary in our culture, at my birth
I was told that my grandmother picked me
up and announced that I would become
well educated, noble, and rich; and then
she named me “Koteswara” (part of my first
name, which truly translates to “millionaire”). To fulfill her dream, I would become nothing other than
a physician, a healer. She did not get any argument from me. I was my high school’s valedictorian
and attended a famous Catholic all boys college, enabling me to enter the most respected medical
school. When I graduated medical school at age 21, I earned a gold medal (real gold).
My grandmother decided that I should study in the United States for advanced clinical training, even
though I would have earned more money and enjoyed a more luxurious life locally.
Q:
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EARLY EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES?
I legally emigrated to the United States in
1976 with my pregnant wife, $250 and two
suitcases full of personal belongings. My salary
was $500 per month with health insurance,
increased to $14,500 annually after six months.
I received post-graduate medical training in
New York City for five years. My brother-in-law,
who also trained at the same hospital, became
my mentor. I chose cardiology because this
specialty is truly at the heart of medicine.
A:
A captured tender moment, Dr. Musunuru and Kiran, 1979.
22
PHSC Perspective
The young doctor, wife Prameela, and Kiran, age eight months.