MAKING ROUNDS

Benjamin F Pike, M.D.  

During my time in Columbus , I have seen many excellent physicians come to our city and provide care for patients.  Some have come after a diligent search and evaluation of the opportunities.  One of these doctors arrived by happenstance and the patients have benefited from that chance arrival.

Bipin Patel

During his last year of fellowship at the University of Louisville, Bipin had arranged to take a week off so he could investigate a position in Warren , Ohio .  Shortly before the time he was to take the trip, he was informed by telephone that the position had been filled by an individual who was from the United States .  Since the week off had been scheduled he responded to a friend’s invitation to visit in Dalton , Georgia .  The trip to Dalton convinced him that there was no need for another pulmonologist in that town.  Since he was in the area, he decided to call around to see if there were other opportunities.  He got a positive response from Opelika, Alabama so he drove down this way.  He took a wrong turn and wound up in Columbus . 

After eating breakfast at McDonald’s, he drove around the city and happened to see St. Francis Hospital and went inside.  He was just outside John Anderson’s office and saw a telephone and called the Administrator and was hooked up with John.  Mr. Anderson told him that he would be delighted to meet with him in an hour.  Bipin went back to his car and drove around for another hour before the meeting.  He was treated very cordially and was informed that yes another lung specialist was needed.  Dr. Clarence Butler (Medical Director of St. Francis at the time) met with him.  The discussion was very cordial, especially when the talk turned to big game hunting in Kenya.  After some further investigation, Dr. Patel settled on Columbus and has been here since 1983.

Growing up in Kenya, Bipin had close experience with the British Colonial System in Africa.  There were three distinct classes.  The native Africans were expected to be the manual workers.  Their educational opportunities were very limited since the ruling British did not want to see them rise in status to threaten the position of the rulers.  The British residents were the ones who lived in the palatial homes with servants.  They were the ones who had the private clubs and lives of luxury.  The Indians were the business people and the professionals.  In his native city of Kericho, school was available only through the sixth grade.  After finishing the sixth grade, Bipin went to Kumpala to live with an older sister so that he could finish high school.  No university education was available in Kenya at the time.  The Indian High School graduates who wished to continue their education had to choose between going to the United Kingdom or to India.

Bipin chose Bombay and pursued the science curriculum.  Medical education was based on the British model.  After two years, he entered medical education.  The first year and a half of medical school was devoted to the basic sciences and the rest of the time was involved with clinical education.  After two more vears, he entered his internship which lasted a year.  Only after the internship was the medical degree awarded.

If he were to stay in India , the internship would be followed by housemanship and then specialty training as a registrar.  He considered his options.  Going back to Kenya was not a good choice.  The Indians were being expelled at the time if they did not opt for Kenyan citizenship.  He had found that he did not really fit in India .  He had been treated as a foreigner during his time there.  He did not like the corruption and graft that seemed a normal way of life in India .  At the time, American hospitals were eagerly recruiting Indian physicians for house jobs.  He went to New York and did a medicine residency there before going on to Louisville .

He has developed a reputation in Columbus as a hard-working and reliable lung specialist and intensivist.  He has two children.  His son is now pursuing a Master’s program in biotechnology.  His daughter was a member of Brookstone championship tennis team and is now about to enter Emory University Bipin has enjoyed his time in Columbus .  He has very little extra time but he does enjoy reading and gardening.  He has been an enthusiastic golfer and tennis player and at one time was a member of a cricket team in this city.  He can justifiably claim many firsts for Columbus but he is reluctant to toot his own horn.  He, however, says with a laugh that he was the first Dr. Patel in the city.