Driven by a deep-seated passion for medicine, Dr. Bhuvaneshwari Rajendran fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a doctor and is now a leading neurologist in the country. Currently, a Senior Consultant in Neurology and Neurophysiology at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, she also consults at her own clinic. Born to Rajendran and Pushpa, Dr. Bhuvana loves interacting with people and helping them to sort out their problems. Her decision to specialise in neurology was taken during her training in the UK at the MRCP rotation where she spent 6 months in different specialities. The impressive array of qualifications under her belt are an MBBS, MRCP (UK), CCT (UK) PG Diploma in Neurology from UCL London and a prestigious FRCP (UK) designation.

She says, “I absolutely love to delve into the history behind the problem, collect facts, evidence etc. To me it is like solving a crime or a puzzle. Only after the hypothesis is done to get to the root cause of the problem, relevant tests will be prescribed’’
After completing her specialisation, she returned to Chennai in 2012, and commenced her practice.

She specialises in neuromuscular disorders, epilepsy, sleep medicine and stroke and is one of the few specialists in the country who has the expertise to perform neurophysiological procedures on both children and adults.

Her innate leadership skills have helped her to take on the mantle of Secretary of the Indian Medical Association, Kauvery Chapter.

Giving back to society is part of her agenda and with that goal in mind, Pushpam Trust was founded. The trust sponsors education for girls who want to study but cannot afford the expenses. Also associated with Rotary Club, her philanthropic work extends to helping people from the lower strata of society. Family support is vital for the success of a person and Dr. Bhuvana is lucky to have a very supportive family. She credits her husband Vijay Narayan and daughter Vidya for their strong structural and emotional support.

Work life balance is very essential, she says “One should be adept in organising time, have defined working hours, not to overload work and never ever neglect family and friends. Allocating time for family, friends and hobbies is a must.’’
According to her, in today’s world, a lot of stress is caused due to over exposure of information, peer pressure and lifestyle related problems. In the rat race to earn more and keep up with the Joneses, people tend to take on more work than they can handle and get stressed out in the bargain.

Her advice for leading a healthy life and keeping diseases at bay is “People should eat a balanced diet containing the required elements of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. In addition to this, one must do regular, moderate exercise and abstain from vices like smoking and drinking.’’

In all her years of dedicated service, there is one patient whom she just cannot forget. She choked with emotion as she recalled a lady who had a neurodegenerative condition. She vividly remembers the last moments of this very strong-willed lady who held her hand with just one finger just to convey her gratitude.

Says Dr. Bhuvana, “Even though certain conditions cannot be cured in spite of all the development in medical technology, the doctors are there for the patients, to ease their pain, and comfort and empathize with them’’.

Reading, travelling, gardening, trying out new dishes, watching cookery shows etc. are all part of her unwinding ritual. “I spend some time in my garden and do a bit of gardening every day. It helps me to connect with nature. Nothing gives me greater joy than to see a sapling or a flower or fruit sprout up.’’

A true fashionista, she believes in dressing for the occasion and is comfortable in both Indian and Western clothes. Among colours, red takes the first spot.

When it comes to sport, her two favourites are cricket and tennis and she catches up watching the games on TV during her free time. She admires cricketer MS Dhoni for his leadership skills and tennis ace Roger Federer for his grace and poise.
“Just thinking of good food makes me happy. I love experimenting in the kitchen, to try out anything new and basically, I am an experimental or a fusion cook.’’

Though she doesn’t get much time to watch films, Kamal Haasan is her favourite actor due to the versatile roles he plays.

Dr. Bhuvana’s message for young doctors is “Through AI, people have access to information, but that alone is not enough. Interaction with the patients, tender loving care, etc. are things that AI cannot replicate for now.’’

The journey of Dr. Bhuvana is more than a chronicle of medical milestones. It is a beacon of progress in a male-dominated field. By blending empathy with expertise, she has carved a niche for herself in the field of neurology.

– Juliana Sridhar is a lawyer and columnist.