Fulfilling his mother’s dream, Dr. Gajendra Joshi secured AIR 74 and the 9th rank in Rajasthan in the PMT and became a doctor. After working in various hospitals in India and abroad, including Medanta- The Medicity, he started his own hospital. He aims to give the best possible treatment to his patients, considering their contentment his biggest reward.

Dr. Gajendra Joshi is a Consultant Physician, Cardiologist, and Director of the Siddhi Vinayak Hospital and Heart Care Centre, located in Hiran Magri Sector 6, Udaipur. He has been running the hospital for the last six years. He has a diverse experience of working in various hospitals across India as well as abroad, including Medanta-The Medicity, Gurugram.

Dr. Joshi explains that at Siddhi Vinayak Hospital and Heart Care Centre, they have Echo, TMT, and all other kinds of cardiac and lung tests available at their hospital. They also have an OT and on-call surgeons. They specialise in various types of surgery, including brain surgery and plastic surgery. They have a fully equipped ICU with a ventilator. They have created a state-of-the-art hospital where patients get all the services under one roof. Their main purpose was to provide one-to-one personalised treatment, as he believes that a personal connection between the doctor and the patient helps them heal better. He believes that big hospitals often fail to provide personalised treatment.

Dr. Joshi shares that they have recently introduced the EECP Therapy for patients in their hospital who cannot undergo bypass surgery due to medical reasons or age. This therapy increases blood flow to the heart in patients with chronic angina, and reduces the risks associated with invasive surgery.

Dr. Joshi shares that no one in his family was literate, so his mother wanted him and his siblings to receive a good education and become a doctor, advocate, or engineer. However, both his sisters and elder brother could not study due to various reasons. Thus, the responsibility of fulfilling his mother’s desire fell entirely on him. Although his interests lay in chemistry, physics, and engineering, his mother wanted him to become a doctor, so he pursued that path.

Dr. Joshi says he passed the entrance exam in 2000 and completed his MBBS degree in 2006. Thereafter, he went to Bangalore to pursue his MD. After that, he worked for some time in Ahmedabad and then in Medanta—The Medicity, Gurugram. Thereafter, he went abroad for two years to work and gain experience.

When he came back to India, he joined a private hospital. After working there for three years, he realised his dream of starting his own hospital. He says that he had always wanted to do something on his own and be his own boss, as he did not want to work under someone else. While working there, he met a few people who shared the same idea of starting a hospital. Together they started the Siddhi Vinayak Hospital as a multispecialty hospital, where he works as a physician with a focus on cardiology.

Born in a village near Nathdwara, Dr. Joshi came to Udaipur when his family moved to the city. At that time, his family was going through a financial crisis and often did not get two full meals a day. Although his father was in government service, he was suspended for some reason. After his sister’s marriage, they started a dairy farm business with the help of her in-laws. Initially starting the business with just one cow, they expanded it gradually. He too helped in the business by supplying milk and buttermilk on a bicycle and helped with dairy farming activities until he passed his 12th grade.

Dr. Gajendra did his schooling at Rajkiya Ucch Prathmik Vidyalaya, Udaipur. During his time there, the school didn't have proper flooring or a roof, so they couldn't study during the rainy season. All the students together covered the roof with big plastic sheets. He completed his 9th and 10th grades at B.N. Public School. He could score just 58% in his 10th grade, so his school principal refused to enrol him in science. However, determined to pursue science, he met the principal of Guru Nanak Public Senior Secondary School, Dr. R.P. Kabra, whom he convinced to allow him to study in the science stream. Dr. R.P. Kabra also told him that he was giving him admission because he trusted him and his honesty. He joined the school and excelled in Chemistry. After passing his 12th standard, he went to meet Dr. R.P. Kabra, who felt proud of giving him a chance.He was the only student in his batch to become a doctor.

Dr. Joshi shares that he used to score only passing marks in Maths until 8th grade, which continued in the first test of Maths in B.N. School as well. But, after getting coached for one hour by his neighbour, he scored nine out of ten in the second test and shocked the whole class. After that, he got interested in Maths and scored well in both Physics and Chemistry. He went to Kota to prepare for the medical entrance exam, which took him two years to clear.

He recalls how his mother used to taunt him to study more, often citing the example of the neighbour's kid who studied day and night. Ironically, that boy failed his 12th exam while he passed his 11th standard. The next year, convinced that he would fail because he hadn’t studied enough, his father didn't check his result. So, he brought the results himself and showed his father that he had passed in the first division. His father did not believe it until the marksheet arrived.

After gaining his father’s trust, he was sent to Kota to prepare for the medical entrance exam. He secured the all India 74th rank and the 9th rank in Rajasthan in the PMT. He got selected for the All India PMT, Rajasthan PMT, and BHU. During counselling, when he selected the Medical College in Udaipur, the principal of Maulana Azad Medical College, who was also present, asked him why he was not choosing his college and requested to speak to his father. Young Gajendra explained to his father that choosing that college would cost lakhs of rupees, which they did not have, and that's why he chose to study in Udaipur. This decision saved him expenses, and he completed his MBBS degree there.

Dr. Joshi recalls that when he was young and whenever he got sick, his mother would take him to a clinic, where he would always admire the doctor wearing a white coat. He also used to play the role of a doctor in the house  as a kid, which showed that  he always had a desire to become a doctor. Although he grew more inclined towards maths as he got older, he decided to become a doctor to fulfil his mother’s wish. He also remembers visiting MB Hospital, where he was inspired by the lives of doctors.

Dr. Gajendra feels inspired by the life story of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

To all students preparing for the NEET, Dr. Joshi advises that if he could clear the exam as an average student, then anyone can. He encourages them to believe that nothing is impossible if you are determined to crack any exam or build a career in any field.

Sharing his achievements, Dr. Gajendra explains that his family members did not have much education, and he didn't have any guidance. Because of this, it took him three years to prepare for NEET. He didn’t even know that there was an entrance exam to become a doctor. After working hard for three years, he cleared the exam, which brought immense joy to him and his mother, and they both cried a lot on the result day.

Now, after becoming a doctor, when his patients get treated, and even those who came on wheelchairs recover and are able to walk after his treatment, he considers that as his biggest achievement. Even during the COVID time, almost 90% of the patients recovered fully in their hospital, and many of them still come to thank him, which he considers his accomplishment. He always aims to give the best possible treatment to his patients, and their contentment is his biggest reward.

Offering guidance to aspiring doctors, Dr. Gajendra Joshi acknowledges that the entrance exam has become tougher due to the increasing competition. But he believes that the basic way of studying the concepts is still the same. One must study for consistent hours and realise the importance of revising regularly. He advises that before appearing in the exam, one should complete their syllabus beforehand by revising it multiple times. Multiple revisions help enhance your pictographic memory, and you never forget what you studied.