Dhagash Pankaj Patel

I grew up in the footsteps of my father, a physician who dedicated his whole life to helping others. My father always organized charities and projects to provide free medical care to the ill and homeless in India. As a child, I always accompanied him during these events. I had the chance to see first-hand how grateful and relieved people are to receive genuine care. I also had the privilege of seeing the difference good medical care could bring to the lives of those in need. Seeing his dedication inspired me to carry on his tradition of helping others. I strive to continue learning so that I can provide medical care to the best of my abilities. My father always said, Because everyone lives for themselves, its living for others that really counts. I want to be able to live this statement, and the best way I knew I could do that is with this career path I have chosen. For me, patient care is the most important aspect of what I do on a daily basis. I believe there are two methods of …caring and providing treatment. One is where the treatment is dictated and the second is where the patient and their family are actively involved in their treatment and care plan. I believe in educating my patients about their pathology and how their problem can be both resolved and prevented from returning. It is important to me that I listen to my patients, understand their needs, treat them with care and use the best evidence-based medicine. It is easier said than performed, but I believe that a good doctor is not the one who puts their patient on medications but rather a doctor who takes them off their medications. I strive to practice with this kind of mindset. I enjoy working with athletes and sports-related medicine. This is partly because I was always involved in playing sports and being outdoors while growing up. I feel like I can relate to my patients' injuries better when they come from the playground. I also trained heavily on foot and ankle surgery related to trauma and sports medicine, which deepened my love for the field. Athletes always have the ambition and the determination to get back to their game, which motivates me and makes me enjoy helping them even more. While I am not at work, I enjoy spending my time with family and friends. We usually like to go on hiking trips or out on a river for canoeing. I enjoy going on biking trails on a calm road. I also enjoy weightlifting, and I consider the gym as my temple. I love to explore new places, different parts of the world and trying new cuisine with the company of loved ones. If I had to pick one location as my happy place, I would definitely have to choose an island somewhere in the Caribbean.