Dr.Arvind Bhateja, Medical Director at Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital starts his day at 4 AM every morning. He cycles for an hour daily before he gets to the hospital at 7.30 AM to schedule his surgeries for the day. No stranger to academic excellence, Dr. Bhateja gained accolades throughout his student days with gold medals from M S Ramaiah Medical College, the Indian Society of Otolaryngologists (in ENT) and Bangalore University. He then went on to do his M Ch in Neurosurgery at NIMHANS. During this time he performed and assisted in hundreds of neurosurgical operations and was also involved in neurocritical care management and management of emergency services.
Dr Arvind Bhateja
While his pursuit of excellence in neuroscience is an on-going effort, Dr. Arvind Bhateja is an avid cyclist and an active member of Bangalore's cycling community. He cycles all five days a week and his cycling schedule mostly depends on the race he is training for. Dr. Arvind spends his Sundays with his team and they do at-least 100 kilometers per day. He recently participated in a biking trip to Hawaii, called 'Race to the Sun', which starts at sea-level and ends 10,000 feet high at a dormant volcano on a mountain called Haleakala. Dr. Bhateja describes this experience as one of his most challenging climbs.
When he's not at work or Cycling, Dr. Arvind Bhateja scouts out for needy patients at the hospital and offers them free services through the Sita Bhateja Trust, the charitable wing of the hospital that strives to provide free healthcare. He recently conducted an eight hour plus marathon surgery of a benign tumor and lent a new life to an ailing patient. All expenses of this surgery were funded by the Sita Bhateja trust. Dr. Arvind Bhateja also spearheaded the free spine surgeries program at Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital. This program renders medical treatments to patients suffering from various spine-related disorders and conducts one spine surgery every week absolutely free.
BV: What inspires you to do cycling? Why did you incorporate cycling into your daily life?
Doctor: It’s an extremely liberating way of seeing a country and the countryside. Great way to keep fit. Also having raced with some really strong riders who keep racing well into their 60s is super inspiring. Also, I get a big high trying to conquer some of the world's most iconic mountain climbs. Getting to the top is high both in terms of the incredible sense of achievement and for the spectacular views.
BV: How do you manage your work and cycling activities?
Doctor: It’s all a question of managing time optimally. It needs discipline and dedication. It also means getting to bed early and avoiding “stimulants”. Rest is really important. Often I have to cut down on social engagements.
Dr. Arvind Bhateja
BV: Is becoming a neurosurgeon always a dream for you?
Doctor: Yes, when I was in school I read an article in Readers Digest called “The Making of a Neurosurgeon”.
That article inspired me greatly since Neurosurgery seemed to be a field full of challenges and somehow challenges seem to spur me on. I felt like I could take it upon myself to become a neurosurgeon and try to achieve good outcomes for patients who suffered from difficult to treat brain disorders. That sense of taking on challenges I guess became a part of my personality and also extends into my hobby - cycling.
BV: Would you like to share more about the biking trip "Race to the Sun"?
Doctor: Race to the Sun is a race that is conducted once a year going up a mountain in Maui, Hawaii called Mount Haleakala. The race starts at sea level and ends 60 km later at 10,000 feet in the crater of a dormant volcano.
Although I could not take part in this race, I rode up this iconic mountain in 2011 and created some memories that are difficult to erase.
BV: Would you like to share some of your future projects with Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital and with your cycling?
Doctor: With SBSH we plan to continue adding to our expertise in Brain and Spine surgery with modern advances and equipment.
As far as cycling is concerned, my number one priority right now is to train myself to qualify for the World Masters Championships in Vancouver next year. As far as I know, no one from India has raced at this event in the past and it is my long-cherished dream to be at the start line wearing the national colors. I’d also like to take part in a few iconic races such as The Rift in Iceland, Taiwan KOM and some of the Haute Route events over the next few years.
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