Dr Sanjay Pandey: Popular Doctor of Urology

Namaste Dr Sanjay Pandey,

You are a Popular Doctor serving as Head of Andrology & Reconstructive Urology and 

 Consultant for Robotic Urology and Gender reassignment surgery at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital Mumbai since 2008 . Your popular Ted Talks and appearance on TV show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" with Mr Amitabh Bachchan won many hearts.

It's an honour to have you on my "Leslie Show",  I have "Leslie's Burning Questions" for you to answer.

1-How would you describe yourself in 3 words

Dr Sanjay Pandey- I would describe myself as a man who follows the three words  Learn, Unlearn & Relearn 

2- Where are you from , which 3 cities/countries you love to travel to and why

Dr Sanjay Pandey- I am from  Rourkela in Odisha and travel came from the passion to pursue learning the subject & sub-specialities that I have been involved in. Having travelled to Italy , Germany and South Korea on many occasions as a trainee, delegate and later a faculty over past 2 decades I have known the places and habitats in few cities of each there with friends and contemporaries being partners in journey , these locations beckon me most .

3-How would you describe your Life-journey so far. Did you ever feel like an outsider? 

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Having commenced education in Odisha from Rourkela to SCB Medical college Cuttack and then at CMC Vellore and JIPMER Pondicherry completing specialization in Urology , served as Associate Professor in Urology at the Sri Ramachandra medical University in Chennai for a decade before moving to Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai in 2008 where I have been since past 12 years.I had an interim stint of one year at the reputed Rajiv Gandhi Cancer institute in Uro-Oncology in New Delhi. Being trained by the most dedicated teachers and teams above and lived and worked in all 4 zones of the country , feels a True Indian like anyone else ! I was never given a feeling of an outsider.My Journey so far is my Message that we live in most progressive and constructive atmosphere and the upbringing by parents and training and handholding by teachers and friends has bestowed infinite variety of creativity.

4- What's the first thing you would do once the Lockdown is lifted

Dr Sanjay Pandey- The Lockdown is an exceptional and powerful wake up call about oneself and surroundings that the civilization has not witnessed before. In these tough and curtailed times , I and team strive to continue to be positive and promote the awareness message by way of unhindered work ,thus keeping oneself motivated while connecting  the dots of my subject Urology with the world of needy.Maintaining the balance of home family work is the process that I have been learning and shaping in the past 4 months . Once Lockdown opens, the first thing will be travel to parents in Bokaro steel city and spend time with them ; I need to zoom into their company and needs .

5-What's the first thing you do when you wake up 

Dr Sanjay Pandey- In a very candid format , I have struggled to wake up early in my life .Wake up to mornings is diving  into prayers for the day and recap of news that I have missed out on yesterdays while preparing a checklist to do and get set to go . 

6-You are a success story , what's a normal day schedule like in your life...(the way it was before lockdown and currently during lockdown)

Dr Sanjay Pandey- I reckon discipline has been vital to a meaningful journey with tuff and structured climb up the ladder that has brought me where I stand today.To dream and do under the perimeter of rules is to simplify and disentangle the complexities of task at hand. Each day is a new learning from who all I meet and treat, A routine day is usually  long commencing with exchanging best wishes with the family in the morning , engaging in treating Urology-Andrology diseases and taking expectations of the needy in both routines and emergency cases  while able to balance ownself till you are safely back home.In the Lockdown times, an extra effort for self care ,battling the challenge of modern pandemic at the doorstep everyday .Its with thanks to all in the movement where I screamed loud  We is stronger than I 

7-What are your fav childhood memories

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Favourite childhood memories emanate from weekends with family to the city park playing all day amidst outdoor lunch and picnics and carefree holidays together.The Birthday gifts and toy laden carts decked around as I would pose  amidst them for the annual photographs.The newspaper cuttings of important events chronologically pasted as personal albums created with help of parents and siblings Sushma and Satish assisting are strong in memory.Creativity was collective effort that we have carried in our homes till this day.It was also about stealing sweets, telling lies and looking at shortcuts on subject that were difficult .Those were best days with friends and family.

8-What comes to your mind when I say the word "Family"

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Family to me is a strong bondage and my rocket fuel that shaped me .It emanates from the collective handholding of parents and partnership of siblings that shaped our destiny as a team  by confidence of them being around all the time .Family to me is also about organizing and overcoming as a team and looking at directions together as decades shaped. Family today is an expanded team of Rashmi my beloved dermatologist wife who took a backstep sacrifice towards taking success stories of Ayushi and Akshita , our daughters as they take the values of our stepping stones to take the big picture and dreams ahead .History repeats itself !!

9-What's the best compliment you have ever received

Dr Sanjay Pandey- "Dr Pandey, You have been a testimony of inspiration and passion with positives for all of us around. I Have watched  you closely over the years and have prayed that in my next version May I be you with same energy,creativity and empathy" - A patient .

10-What's the most memorable moments of  your life

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Not being able to qualify for Engineering entrance exams in 1987, making it to the list  in Medical curriculum in 1988, to be able to meet the Joy of life Rashmi then in 1991, to see Internet as the biggest revolution of my times in 1998 , able to learn Oriya,Tamil,Bengali and Serbian as languages to be multilinguist and be able to make a mark with ethics and example and take up niche subjects of Urology and beyond by complete immersion training in  Gender reassignment surgery in 2008 and Robotic urology in 2015 have all been memorable .I have been blessed and havent looked back ..

11-What 5 health tips you suggest for one and all 

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Being healthy is a state of body and mind by organizing, learning and overcoming !!

a) Never postpone complaints in health to another day for a bigger need .Time to move you preventive health 

b) You live only once , as you gracefully age changes in gradually body may not be deciphered , so health checkups , warning signs and past health records are a priority for the future

c) For Kidneys to be healthy as the bandmaster of the bodys orchestra avoiding toxic products and  overindulgence: Discipline your food and drink with rest ,sleep and rejuvnation ; It pays back

d) Old age /Geriatrics is battle one hasnt seen or prepared for ;Being conscious and shaping your health by preventive approach will help tide the challenges of old age when many comorbidites and diseases do spring up.

e) Once a kidney stone former , always a stone former .. Prevention is better and safer than cure See Your Urologist or me !!

12-What is your message for so many youngsters who are your fans and who look upto you for motivation ?

Dr Sanjay Pandey- To all friends of the present day bubbling generation that makes the world merry go round please build your personal standards and creativity machine by the Motivation which is completely internal , challenge yourself to higher and pure goals, look inward and then outward, innovate from your corners and be a prototype : Just do it !! Your story is of dreams and possibles and will be keen to partner as you organize by enthusing you to the highest ! Just an email away at sanjaypdr@gmail.com

13-Who or what inspires you to keep progressing and succeeding in life

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Being born in an era and living in another has the helped create ideals and idols.Parents always inspired with honesty,simplicity and their teachings.They inspire you with similar teachings till today One owes all to them always.Have followed the Mahatmas journey and looked at his sacrifice in my years of maturity.Curiosity , Challenge , Creativity and Innovation inspires me lots.

14-How do you handle moments of defeat, failure, rejection.

Dr Sanjay Pandey- To be engulfed with feelings of defeat , rejection and failures have been moments of setback and wake up call. Have been down and out as any human  in all these moments of despair and looked up for relief to friends,teachers  and family whose help and boost have helped me handle them.From the corners of darkness to see sunshine again has been helped by the strong  foundation and the motto  You do your best , God will do the rest 

15-What makes you the happiest

Dr Sanjay Pandey- It was a personal epoch making inner happiness to be able give a TED TALK on the invited dream subject that I Practice and perform “ Dysphoria to Euphoria “

To be invited to partner Big B on the KBC platform towards “Organ Donation” was most memorable.

To be able to match the expectations of the person in front by listening to complaints , explaining and finally moulding them to awareness that is positive on a disease with empathy and truth thus bringing a more happy and positive person towards treatment has been the goal.Have been happiest whenever I have succeeded . To start a day with prayers, be able to fulfill needs that I was born for when I took up the subject of Medicine and health and retire to deep sleep the moment I hit the pillow are happy moments.

16-Your fav top 5 books

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Kidnapped , Papillon , The Iliad , The Day of the Jackal , The Fourth Protocol are my top five 

17-Your Fav top 5 movies

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Ek ruka hua Faisla ( and the English version 12 angry men )

Zanjeer 

12 years a slave 

Sholay 

Lagaan

18-When's your Birthday,  what's a normal Birthday like every year

Dr Sanjay Pandey- 26th July . Normal birthday every year is to be with family and friends , commence with a longer prayer thanking Almighty and visiting the temple, donate to the needy, work limited n lesser on the day to be back early for a family reunion for blessings of all elders and unique messages of family and friends , still wear  a new dress and eat sweets and lay a stepping stone for another 

year .This year 2020 its a Sunday, maybe the first time in memory !

19-Where do you see yourself in 5 years

Dr Sanjay Pandey- Wow ! I see myself in Mumbai , I see myself in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital continuing stronger and polishing  the foundation that we commenced upon 12 years ago with a pledge to be Mover and Shaker of the promise .. Care , treat and Cure .

I see myself enthusing more to positives from public platforms of hope,success,rejuvenation and being a team member of the present day groups that we have recreated as friends from school, college and public life in our journey.

20-What are your social media handles

Dr Sanjay Pandey-

Email : sanjaypdr@gmail.com    

Twitter : DrSanjayPandey10

Facebook : Dr Sanjay Pandey

Youtube  Channel : Dr Sanjay Pandey Urology

Instagram :sanjayuro