Dr. Tarun Bhatnagar is a specialist in anesthesia and critical care. With over 15 years of experience, his life journey teaches new and aspiring professionals in this field a lot.

Dr. Tarun Bhatnagar is currently heading the Department of Anesthesia at GBH American Hospital, Udaipur. From choosing an uncommon field to excelling in it, Dr. Bhatnagar has always been passionate and dedicated to his field. These two qualities are the ones that make a great doctor, according to him.

Born in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, the hometown of his mother, Dr. Tarun remembers completing his schooling in different cities in Rajasthan. However, the majority of his early student life was enjoyed in Kota, Rajasthan, where his father, a government employee, was based. His journey into the medical field also began in Kota, where he took coaching for PMT. He then joined RNT Medical College, Udaipur, for his MBBS in 1991 and then completed his PG in the same field.

Dr. Tarun has worked in many hospitals in Ahmedabad and has more than 15 years of experience in anesthesia and critical care. He initially started with GBH American Hospital and then moved to Bangalore to work at Narayana Health, where he gave his services for five years and specialized in cardiac, neuro, and transplant anesthesia. It was just around May 2020, when the pandemic hit, that he rejoined GBH American and shifted back to Udaipur.

Talking about the challenges in his field, he states that saying no is not an option. However tough the case might be, he finds it his duty to counsel the patient about the same and do his best once near the OT table. He says work-life balance is something that is almost absent in this profession of saving lives. He cherishes the little time he gets with his spouse and kids second to none.

He terms the COVID period as one of the toughest phases in his life and in the lives of any professional in the medical field. It was a time of high risk and utmost care. From using PPE kits, masks, and shields throughout the day to pre-testing patients before any surgery or radiological modalities, it became part and parcel of a doctor’s life.

Dr. Tarun has some advice for those who aspire to be future doctors. The medical profession is a tough journey. It is a long process—five years for MBBS, two years for PG, and super specialization (DM or MCH), adding up to 10–12 years. One has to dedicate their golden years of life to this field with dedication and truthfulness.

Dr. Tarun considers Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty of Narayana Health as his ideal and a person he looks up to. He admires his dedication and the passion with which Dr. Shetty works.

If Dr. Tarun gets a time machine, he would like to go back to his early childhood days, when there were no worries about life and competition. The carefree life of childhood is what he misses the most.

Tagging himself as a jack of all trades, Dr. Tarun points out that he loves cricket and Bollywood movies. He has a newfound interest in equity trading and the stock market. However, traveling remains at the top of his list of leisure activities.