DR . WHO
rience shared . While stateside , she visited her uncle in Wisconsin who was a medical professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin ( MCW ). Showing her around the hospital , the OR caught her eye . “ I remember saying , ‘ One day , I will come here and practice .’”
While in the six years out of high school MBBS program , she met her husband and they had two children , Neha and Nupur . In 1979 , she received her MBBS degree from Gandhi Medical College and then went on to receive her MD in Anesthesiology from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , a Harvard equivalent in India . She excelled in the exams at PGIMER . She worked in India as an attending anesthesiologist for a few years and did a stint in Saudi Arabia with her husband for two years . Then in 1991 , they travelled to England , where she completed her FFARCS . The three-part “ FFA exam ” offered over three years by the Royal College of Anesthesiologists was rigorous and she graduated in 1993 . Unfortunately , while in London , tragedy struck , and her husband passed away . Dr . Bhatia was left heartbroken , a single mother to two young girls .
“ There were many challenges to bringing up two little girls in a new country while I was doing advanced training . I had to make sure they were doing well in school , making friends and that they were well taken care of and safe during my night calls .”
In 1994 , after the family felt settled and had time to recover , they moved to the U . S . Dr . Bhatia had taken her USMLE exams and was accepted to the Medical College of Wisconsin , the institute she had vowed to return . She completed her fellowship and residency at MCW .
“ While in MCW , I received advanced training in cardiac echocardiography and cleared the first perioperative TEE exam ever offered in the world . I realized that there was continuous innovation in cardiovascular surgery and cardiac anesthesia which was extremely challenging . The perioperative TEE monitoring used in conjunction with anesthesia enabled accurate surgical decision making , bringing value to both specialties with the added benefit of superior patient outcome . “
Because she had had much training at this point , and had taken so many exams , which she continues to take , her daughters always questioned , “ When will you ever be done with exams , Mom ?” But she realizes it taught them to be lifelong learners themselves . Following her graduation from MCW , where she was awarded the highest academic achievement award , she was offered assistant professorship at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio . She accepted and was soon promoted to Director of Cardiac Anesthesia and appointed Associate Professor .
“ I loved teaching residents . I wanted to make sure they were equally passionate about learning and enjoying their residency .” She continues to help residents present at conferences and publish . While in academic practice in Cincinnati , her residents awarded her the Teacher of the Year award in recognition of her dedication to teaching .
After four great years , Louisville came into the picture . “ They lured me ,” she said laughing . “ In Cincinnati , we were doing about 350 hearts per year . In Louisville , they were doing 1,600 to 1,800 per year . Jewish Hospital was top , top , top .”
Dr . Bhatia joined what is now UofL Health – Jewish Hospital and has been with them since 2003 through all the ownership changes . She currently serves as a cardiac anesthesiologist and hospital administrator and is Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative
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