Nikhil Harsiani
London, England
Medicine
2nd year
Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Nikhil Harsiani knows that he’s a big talker. If you come across him in the street, library or Dervish at 2am after being kicked out of the Vic at closing time you know you’re in for a good forty minute conversation, discussing a wide range of topics from the drizzling rain you’re currently both standing in to your lifetime ambitions. After promising to interview one of medicine’s sassiest characters many times in the past (most often drunkenly), we finally set a date and he arrived at my house in his classic Barbour jacket and corduroy trousers on a typical St Andrews rainy, bone-chilling afternoon. While Imogen and I complained about outside’s dampness and cold not in keeping with spring’s promise of bright sunshine and renewed warmth, Nikhil admitted cheerfully that one of the reasons he chose St Andrews was because of its seasonal disregard, “I love the cold. I don’t really like summer. St Andrews always feels a bit wintry and I like that.”
Nikhil is currently one of the Bute Medical Society’s second year representatives, which means he is primarily responsible for organising hecklings, the “mad” initiation of all fresher medics into the society, “We make them do disgusting things like eating raw eggs, drinking tomato juice mixed with vodka and chugging two cans of beer each.” He also has to make announcements in the lecture room, which he chooses to sing because “people really love it. Even though I have a crappy voice, they much prefer it to when someone just stands up and talks.” Whenever he fancies a break from the “very intense” medic world, he plays a bit of tennis and was until recently a prominent member of dance society, “I don’t really want to talk about it. I was mainly interested in the theatrical part of it, as well as the choreographing of dances.”
Although he is really enjoying studying medicine at St Andrews, which he claims provides its students with “one of the best medical science educations in the country”, he initially wanted to be a fashion journalist due to his love of “everything to do with words”, and still insists that if he could be anyone he would be “the male Anna Wintour.” However, after doing some work experience at a hospital during sixth form, he finalised his decision to pursue a career in medicine because he realised that it could never be a hobby, whereas he could continue reading and writing about fashion in his spare time. At the moment he thinks he would eventually like to specialise in neurology because “the brain is the hub. It’s the be all and end all. It’s your being.”
Assuring me that he doesn’t believe in having one best friend, “I have lots of good friends”, he sweetly named his brother as his favourite person, “He’s the only person who can reason with me when I’m really intensely emotional or angry about something. He grounds me. I like to pretend he doesn’t know me, but I think he does.” In his brother’s absence at university, when life gets overly confusing or infuriating (for example when someone has the audacity to serve him baked beans “that are obviously not Heinz” with his full English breakfast), he seeks advice from Katheryn Yang, the St Andrews School of Medicine’s current president, who he describes as “unbelievably nice” and “just really cool.” He judges people on their personality rather than their physical appearance, insisting that any future spouse would need to be “funny and have integrity”, modestly concluding, “I’m not a looker myself, so I think it would be unfair to choose someone based on how they look.”
Unfortunately St Andrews is losing its funny, kind-hearted friend in just over a year’s time, our limited clinical facilities meaning that he has to complete his degree at the University of Manchester, “an unconfined, unsafe environment” for someone who’s used to being restricted to three main streets. “It’s really scary. I feel as though I’m leaving home for university all over again. However, I get to relive being a fresher, which is really exciting.” He promises to visit all the non-medic friends he’s leaving behind, “I don’t think anyone could stay away from this place for too long”, and acknowledges St Andrews’ shaping of his personality, “I’ve definitely changed a lot since coming to St Andrews. I’ve met so many different people here, and like to think that my exposure to a massive range of cultures has broadened my social awareness.”
I managed to survive the interview without being taken out by the miniature basketball Nikhil spent the entirety of the time throwing up and down in an attempt to master a trick Imogen had shown him proudly on arrival, and was quite sad to see him leave after a couple of hours of pleasant chatter over coffee. However, medic life demanded his attention once again, someone calling him to ask to borrow a bow tie for tonight’s big academic family get-together at Bibi’s (clearly he’s the one his friends turn to during fashion emergencies), and he was off to enjoy his vegetarian ragù and “a rather expensive bottle of rosé wine.” If you’re looking for feel-good conversation or a good gossip, Nikhil admitting to being “very direct” and “a little bit bitchy”, he loves meeting new people so would be more than happy to welcome you into his wide circle of friends.
Rapid fire:
Favourite food: Chinese food. A good noodle stir-fry from one of Camden’s street vendors.
Favourite restaurant in St Andrews: Nahm Jim. I like Asian food and the service is great.
Favourite place for an intimate drink: the Rule.
Big night out or quiet night in: It really depends on the company. If people are in the mood to have a nice little film night or dinner as opposed to going out, they’ll be just as fun and interesting as after consuming a few bottles of wine during pre-drinks.
Guilty pleasure: Online shopping. I’m constantly looking at clothes online. Ooh and I watch Friends on repeat. I know every single word.