From Chennai to Sydney: Radha Govind on optometry, reinvention, and women’s healthDr. Radha Govind, a newly minted director at Women in Health Network, shares her journey from Chennai to Sydney, the long road to becoming an Australian-registered optometrist, and the niche world of visual electrophysiology. She also opens up about building Menometra, a perimenopause and menopause awareness group helping women find trustworthy information and self-advocate.This conversation is both personal and practical. We discuss migration, professional identity, women’s health, and the importance of staying curious enough to keep reinventing your life. Born in Chennai, lived there until age 26, then moved through Chandigarh and Canada before arriving in Australia in 2008 with her husband and four-month-old baby.Sydney became home quickly, with Australia feeling welcoming and familiar in a way Canada did not. Radha reflects on how the weather, friendships, and sense of belonging made Australia feel like home even before citizenship.She describes an easy social integration and a strong feeling of being supported. Optometry was always central to her identity, but getting into the profession in Australia was a circuitous process.She recently earned registration through the exam pathway.Radha now leads the visual electrophysiology clinic at Macquarie University Ophthalmology Practice.She explains why she loves the niche, puzzle-solving nature of the work and compares it to being “Dr. House.”She is still figuring out whether she wants conventional optometry practice or a more specialized path.Meeting people and having conversations is part of how she is navigating the next stage.Moving to Australia helped her understand herself better, speak up about what she wants, and experiment without fear.She describes unlearning, relearning, and becoming more intentional about her choices.Passions outside workSinging and karaokeHiking and family time outdoorsWeight training, which she loves for how powerful it makes her feelPerimenopause and menopause advocacyAfter her own perimenopause journey, Radha wanted to help other women talk openly about taboo topics.She and a friend started Menomitra, a WhatsApp-based community that grew into a perimenopause and menopause awareness group.What Menometra doesThe group filters out misinformation and prioritizes peer-reviewed, valid information.It creates a safe space for women to discuss physical, mental, and emotional health and supports self-advocacy.Balance, me-time, and personalityRadha says she does not believe in perfect balance.Her “me time” changes daily, and she identifies as neurodivergent, experimental, and someone who likes to keep people guessing.Advice to her younger selfShe would tell her younger self: do not change a thing.Every experience, even the hard ones, helped shape who she is now.Closing quoteRadha shares Oscar Wilde’s line: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars.”
