Ayurveda expert Prof. (Dr.) Manish V. Patel has been contributing to the field since his early years. Working as the head of the Kaya Chikitsa Department at J. S. Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, he has shaped his professional career under the guidance of Prof. Dr. S. N. Gupta. Dr. Patel has also published 43 research papers and advocates a holistic approach to learning and practising Ayurveda.

Dr. Manish V. Patel is a Professor and Head of the Department of ‘Kaya Chikitsa’ at J. S. Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, a college affiliated with Maganbhai Adenwala Mahagujarat University, Nadiyad.

Working in the department of Kaya Chikitsa since 2007, Dr. Patel shares that this is one of the most important departments out of the 14 departments at JSAM College, Nadiad. Commonly known as 'General Medicine' in modern science, the department of Kaya Chikitsa deals with all the chronic diseases of the human body. To better understand this, he gives examples of diseases like diabetes, cancer, and kidney-related problems that fall under the care of the Kaya Chikitsa department.

He believes that, as an Ayurvedic doctor, he must always focus on the well-being of his patients. He does not believe in putting a full stop to his achievements but rather thinks that he must work as much as possible in his field for the betterment of his students and patients. According to him, achievements are mere comparisons about how one is better than another, and hence, one should only focus on his deliverables and try to move forward in life.

Dr. Patel recalls that he was always determined to make a career in the medical field. After completing his 12th grade in 1994, he chose to explore the field of Ayurveda. He always scored good marks but lacked the practical skills to execute the knowledge due to the lack of learning facilities in those days. In his final year of graduation, he met Prof. Dr. S. N. Gupta, a renowned doctor who taught them a few subjects. His teaching technique was so impressive that whatever the students studied in the 1st and 2nd years, they were now able to execute the same in their final year studies.

During his final year at the college, Dr. Patel realised that he had wasted a couple of years by not implementing Ayurveda in his practical life. He started taking his classes regularly from Prof. Dr. Gupta and two other professors. After finishing his graduation degree, he did his internship under Dr. Gupta as well. Thus, now he has the confidence to practise Ayurveda practically.

Later, to pursue higher studies, Prof. Patel cleared the entrance exams for the MD degree and then shifted to Ahmedabad to pursue the same. After completing the 3-year MD course in Ayurveda, he came back to Nadiad as per the instructions of his Guru, Dr. S. N. Gupta. Dr. Patel shares that although he pursued his MD degree in Ahmedabad, he always followed the guidelines from his mentor, Prof. S. N. Gupta.

Dr. Manish V. Patel was born in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He was raised there and completed his education here itself. In 2017, he relocated to Nadiad for work purposes.

He mentions two great people in his life: first, Saint Rang Avadhoot in Nareshwar. His biography and the contributions made by him highly inspire Dr. Manish. Having read about him, he has been visiting Nareshwar since his childhood. Saint Rang Avadhoot’s life story inspired him to work with motivation and integrity. The principles of ‘Matri Devo Bhava, Pitri Devo Bhava, and Chatra Devo Bhava’ proved to be the source of inspiration for Prof. Patel.

Secondly, Dr. Manish also draws inspiration from his role model, Prof. Dr. S. N. Gupta, who has always guided him throughout his career in the field of Ayurveda. He feels fortunate that the teacher who taught him is the same person with whom he has been working since 2007. He underlines that while studying under him, he learned several concepts from Dr. S. N. Gupta, whereas in his professional career, he learned how to work efficiently and in the best manner possible. Today, Dr. Patel has 43 publications in research; he teaches students and treats his patients as well.

Talking about his favourite quotation, he says it comes from Saint Rang Avadhoot itself, which reads, 'Paraspar Devo Bhava.’ This means that no matter where we are and with whom we are, we should recognise the godly qualities in them and also treat them in the same manner as we treat ourselves. He believes that, when two people meet, they both must recognise each other’s godly qualities. This will help abolish fights and problems between them.

Sharing about the hardships, Dr. Manish says that he did not come from a financially stable family. Hence, he faced some difficulties while studying, and thus his journey until his professional career started was somewhat filled with finance-related hardships. Now, after all these years, he feels satisfied that, due to a well-settled professional career, he no longer faces similar hardships.

Giving advice to students making a career in the field of Ayurveda, Dr. Manish shares that only bookish knowledge and good marks will never be enough. As per the current trends, students will have to focus more on the practical aspects of their studies and work on skill building simultaneously. Skills will be developed only when they apply theoretical knowledge in practicality. He underlines that Ayurveda is a very practical course, and one can become successful in it if they work on their skills and practical knowledge solutions. For this, he suggests that the students attend as many patients as they can and develop their skills simultaneously.