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Page 16 - The Indian EYE 071026
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    The Indian Eye
                                            COMING TO AMERICA                                                                               16
                                                                                                                         JULY 10, 2026

                                    A Journey of Dreams,

                   Determination, and Gratitude

                                                                                                                      From there, I continued my med-
                                                                                                                  ical journey and was fortunate to
                                                                                                                  complete my ENT residency at the
                                                                                                                  prestigious  Columbia  University  in
                                                                                                                  New  York.  The  training,  discipline,
                                                                                                                  and exposure I received helped shape
                                                                                                                  me into the physician and leader I
                                                                                                                  would become.
                                                                                                                      Looking  back,  my  journey  was
                                                                                                                  not simply a story of professional
                                                                                                                  achievement. It was a story of re-
                                                                                                                  silience in the face of uncertainty,
                     DR RAJ BHAYANI                                                                               perseverance  through  setbacks,  and
                                                                                                                  faith  during  difficult  times.  There
            I                                                                                                     were many obstacles, disappoint-
               was born and raised in a small vil-
               lage  a  few  hours  from  Mumbai,
                                                                                                                  ments, and moments of self-doubt.
               India.  My  upbringing  was  hum-
            ble, but my parents instilled in me the                                                               Yet every challenge strengthened my
                                                                                                                  resolve and reinforced my belief that
            values of education, hard work, per-                                                                  success is earned through hard work,
            severance, and integrity. Those early                                                                 patience, and unwavering focus.
            lessons became the foundation upon                                                                        What has always stayed with me
            which I would build my life.                                                                          is  the  realization  that  some  of  the
                My academic journey led me to                                                                     most meaningful help I received came
            B. J. Medical College in Pune, one of                                                                 from strangers. People from different
            India’s premier medical institutions.                                                                 backgrounds, cultures, and communi-
            I subsequently completed my Master                                                                    ties opened doors, offered guidance,
            of Surgery in ENT and pursued post-                                                                   and believed in me when they had no
            graduate training in Neurosurgery at                                                                  obligation to do so. Their generosity
            KEM Hospital in Mumbai. Through                                                                       taught me one of life’s most import-
            dedication and relentless effort, I be-                                                               ant lessons: success carries with it a
            came the first ENT surgeon in India                                                                   responsibility to help others.
            to  also  complete  formal  training  in
            Neurosurgery—an  achievement  that                                                                    That lesson became a guiding
            reflected  my  determination  to  push
            beyond traditional boundaries.                                                                        principle in my life. Having expe-
                Like  millions  of  immigrants  be-                                                               rienced firsthand the struggles
            fore me, I came to America in 1995                                                                    of an immigrant professional, I
            carrying  dreams,  hopes,  and  aspira-
            tions. I believed that my education,                                                                  made it a personal mission to
            training,  and  commitment  would                                                                     mentor young physicians, sup-
            open doors. However, the reality was
            far  more  challenging.  Despite  the                                                                 port community organizations,
            remarkable success of many Indians                                                                    and create opportunities for
            who had already established them-                                                                     others. Giving back became not
            selves in the United States, I was sur-
            prised to find that very few were will-                                                               only a duty but also a source of
            ing to help a newcomer navigate the                                                                   deep fulfillment.
            complex path ahead.
                At one of  the most critical mo-                                                                      America’s  greatness  lies  not
            ments in my life, help came from an                                                                   merely  in  its  economic  strength  or
            unexpected source. Dr. Derek Bruce,                                                                   technological  achievements.  Its  true
            a distinguished British neurosurgeon                                                                  greatness lies in the opportunities it
            at the University of Texas Southwest-                                                                 provides, the rule of law, the culture
            ern  Medical  Center  in  Dallas,  gave                                                               of innovation, and the belief that in-
            me an opportunity by offering me a                                                                    dividuals can rise based on merit,
            fellowship  in  Craniofacial  Surgery.                                                                effort, and determination. America
            That single act of kindness changed                                                                   welcomes  dreamers  and  gives  them
            the trajectory of my career and my                                                                    a chance to transform those dreams
            life.                                                                                                        Continued on next page... >>

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