Interview With Dr. Bukkapatnam

“Becoming a doctor is never easy, but it is all worth it in the end.”

-Dr. Radhika Bukkapatnam, Associate Professor of Cardiology, UC Davis

As a cardiologist, Dr. Bukkapatnam specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Dr. Bukkapatnam’s introduction to medicine began at an early age. In 8th grade, her biology teacher brought in a goat heart which made her realize that she wanted to specialize in cardiology. She explained that the process of becoming a doctor had its “typical” obstacles, as she calls it, but persistence and hard work got her through the process. She claims, “The long, excruciating hours [and] relentless paperwork are justified when seeing the patients’ gratitude on their faces”.

When Dr. Bukkapatnam first moved to the U.S. from India, she was denied a spot for residency at UC Davis, with the reason being that the class was full. Not taking no for an answer, she went to Bakersfield to complete her residency there. Being at the top of her class there, she was then granted a spot at UC Davis to complete her residency. Now, these roles have reversed, as she is often consulted when choosing doctors to join the fellowship program.

Life outside of the hospital was a challenge as well. Balancing a difficult work schedule, while taking care of her family was another obstacle that came with the job. However, her family does inspire her to work harder everyday.

One of Dr. Bukkapatnam’s most interesting patient encounters was when an 89 year old lady came into her office holding a map of India. The patient asked Dr. Bukkapatnam where she would move if she was going to move to India, so that the patient could buy property and move somewhere near her. As she recounted, the reason was because this woman never wanted to have another cardiologist. Dr. Bukkapatnam recognized that this was “the kind of gratitude that people have when I go to work.” For her, this gratitude was one of the best things about being a cardiologist, stating, “When I go to work, there are 25 people everyday waiting for me, and they owe their lives to me. And it’s really gratifying to see that.” She also noted that cardiology is a very fulfilling profession for her because she puts in everything that she has, “You put in...all your heart, and what comes out of it is so much fun.”

In the future of her profession, Dr. Bukkapatnam believes that more STEM fields will converge and become more integrated; she hopes to see that each STEM field will not be an isolated effort, but rather more collaborative. As a woman in the STEM field, she stated, ”Although the STEM field is mostly male dominant, If you are good and passionate about what you do, people will overlook your gender and you will stand out.”

In her own words, “the hard work really does pay off.” Dr. Bukkapatnam looks back at her accomplishments and she is proud. She appreciates that her job gives her many opportunities to travel, and generally enjoy life without worrying about finances.

As some closing words of advice, Dr. Bukkapatnam affirms, “Don't beat yourself up over one mistake. Learn from your failures and grow.” She thinks that she would've had more fun, and have a different way of life if she had thought in this mindset when starting out in her career earlier in life.