Rajan Sadagopal K. Subbiah MD, FCCP

What made you want to become a health care provider or what is your earliest memory of wanting to be one?

I became a doctor because I was inspired by my mother who is a physician of exceptional caliber, patience, perseverance and integrity. I realized her patients looked up to her for any medical problems and she always listened to them patiently, helped them in whatever way she could, strived to find answers for them and stood by them like a rock in times of distress.

What do you love most about your specialty? / Why did you choose your specialty?

Pulmonary diseases have always been an area of interest for me from the days I spent in India taking care of several hundred patients with Tuberculosis and complications from the same. The specialty of pulmonary medicine and even the American Thoracic Society evolved around better managing the scourge of tuberculosis around the world. Critical care medicine is an exciting and alluring field for me because of the ability to do more in less time and see the positive impact of your efforts within a matter of hours in some cases. Also it offers me a wide range of clinical challenges encompassing all specialties. The relatively nascent field of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine has over the last decade, taken huge steps towards saving lives that previously would have been lost. We have been able to save lives and decrease morbidity in a variety of lung ailments and in critically ill patients. There has been a renewed interest and exciting new treatment options in the long neglected field of lung cancer. In the next few years we will be able to screen for lung cancer in certain high risk categories. We have better diagnostic modalities, monitoring equipment, new exciting drugs and better understanding of several key lung ailments in particular COPD and asthma. I am inspired by the words of Claude Bernard, the famous French Physiologist It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.

How do you connect with your patients?

When faced with difficult clinical challenges, I am able to connect with my patients by putting myself in their shoes. This gives me a better understanding of what they are going through and gives a clear direction of how I can be of help. My strength lies in my ability to adapt to changing clinical environment, think on my feet and absorb complex concepts and be open to new ideas without prejudice.

What are your interests outside of the office (hobbies, activities)?

Running, basketball, travel, old western movies, hard rock, exotic cuisine, philosophy and a voracious appetite to read. I cherish spending time with my family at home, enjoy cooking with my better half, biking with my daughter and walking my new four-legged friend.

What is your advice for your patients?

With the explosion in knowledge across various fields of medicine derived from clinical trials and ground-breaking basic research, the science of medicine is in a state of rapid evolution. Keeping abreast of this whirlwind of change is challenging for even a well-experienced physician. I would advise my patients to educate themselves about the disease process and treatment options as much as possible, While at the same time allowing their Physician to guide them through this complex decision making process. I would be more than happy to provide informative handouts and refer them to reliable online resources and support groups specific to their problem. This will greatly empower our patients.