Resident Spotlight: Dr. Bharat Markandey
Dr. Markandey, PGY3, Internal Medicine, has found his time at Schulich Medicine very enriching. He was initially drawn to the School’s collegial atmosphere and he feels very humbled and fortunate to have trained with a very supportive faculty, which has allowed him develop into a competent, empathetic and driven physician; values that he will always be able to proudly share as he moves on to subspecialty training and beyond.
“A great mentor once said to me, in learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn. I am very honoured to receive the 2019 PARO Resident Teaching Award and for being able to contribute to the learning of tomorrow’s exceptional physicians.” — Dr. Baharat Markandey
Why did you choose to pursue medicine?
I always knew I wanted to help others, just like my father. I learned the art of caring for patients from him and it soon became a passion. In high school, I started volunteering at various medical institutions both locally and across the globe, in medical camps, caring for underserved populations which further solidified my dream of becoming a physician and helping those in need.
Describe your experience as a resident at Schulich Medicine?
My time at Schulich Medicine has been phenomenal.
The internal medicine training program here is world renowned, and exposes its trainees to common and rare cases, along with exceptional evidence based teaching. Most importantly, our attending physicians work extremely hard to make each day memorable and to provide a friendly working environment. The collegial atmosphere and its highly reputable internal medicine program were among many reasons why I chose to train here.
As a resident, I had the opportunity to chair the Internal Medicine Mentorship program, which facilitated the transition of new trainees into the program. The annual Transition to Residency (T2R) seminar series was a great way of teaching tomorrow’s doctors high yield topics commonly encountered on call, and provided me with the opportunity to explore my passion for medical education by teaching medical students, residents and colleagues.
What has been your greatest achievement during your medical training?
One of my greatest achievements has been volunteering in rural Honduras in a medical brigade. It was an exceptionally unique learning experience to provide health care to a resource-limited and underserved population using a holistic approach. It was through this experience that I learned the important values of patient-centred care.
What is the most important lesson you have learned through patient care?
Patients are our greatest teachers. Every day at work, I have the privilege of learning something new from my patients, whether this may be about their unique medical case or simply about their previous life experiences. Through this I have learned that each patient is unique and through each encounter, we re-evaluate our management plans to provide personalized care.
How do you achieve balance in your life?
Focusing on self-care and physician wellness is of utmost importance. Outside of clinical work, I enjoy surrounding myself with my family and friends and my dog named “Tux." If you know me, you also know that I love watching and playing cricket. Cricket has taught me many core principles: discipline, teamwork, efficiency, collaboration, time-management skills and ambition. I apply all these values to my daily clinical work but they have also helped me bring balance into my life.
