When I first met him, he looked like any other strict HOD—snooty, serious, and someone who spoke only when absolutely necessary.
Little did i know then that this man would change the entire trajectory of my career and my thinking.
One of my earliest recollections is the day I took my nephew to his clinic. He looked up at me and asked,
“Why are you such a careless mother?”
I burst into laughter and said, “I’m not his mother!”
Without missing a beat, he responded,
“Then what is your job?”
For a brief moment, I contemplated—beyond being a maternal figure, what else do I offer to the world?
That was my first taste of his brutally honest and keenly observant nature.
He casually invited me to help out at his clinic if I had some free time. I realised much later—thankfully early in my career—that this was the most advantageous beginning to my medical journey. He represented strictness, excellence, discipline, punctuality, and proper conduct. He had no patience for those who were aimless or wasted time. In the first few weeks, I often thought, “What a man… Maybe I should just quit.”
But then, a shift occurred.
As you work closely with him (and believe me, you’re fortunate if he allows you to be in his presence), you start to notice patterns—subtle, quiet, yet brilliant patterns in his thinking, his treatment of others, and his interactions.
That’s when you realize he’s not merely a doctor. He’s a multi-faceted individual.
A devoted admirer of the natural world.
A man who takes brisk, thoughtful walks.
Someone who practices farming in his free time.
A clinician who is more focused on identifying the root causes than merely alleviating symptoms.
A person who enjoys quizzing others to assign them a rating on his “intelligence index.”
A man with a covert questionnaire to classify individuals based on their "degree of foolishness".
And the most humorous part? He is almost ALWAYS RIGHT!!.
He communicates in few words—and you must interpret the meaning nestled within them.
What inspired me the most was his extraordinary journey.
He came from a remote village where Hindi was hardly ever spoken.
Yet, he managed to secure an All India First Rank, traveled all over the country, and even engaged in debates with northerners in their own language (which he painstakingly mastered!).
Several years later, he returned, having evolved into a resilient, logical, and disciplined individual.
My experience working with him transformed me entirely.
Now, in every task I undertake, every choice I make, and every action I take—I reflect on his perspective.
What would he have done in this situation?
How would he have assessed the circumstances?
How methodically would he have approached it?
If I had to highlight a few traits I adopted from him, they would be: discipline, strong beliefs, and the skill to understand people deeply.
He rarely offers guidance.
Yet, his quiet recommendations are what I hold in the highest regard—they have influenced both my personal and professional journey.
I may never reach the level of fame or brilliance he possesses as a doctor.
But I have a clear vision of what that looks like.
From him, I learned the importance of pursuing your passion
with unwavering discipline, commitment, and perseverance—
regardless of whether you feel unwell, exhausted, drowsy, or unmotivated—
just push through.
Because that’s exactly what he would do.
"Some inspirations fade. Mine never will. Thank you, sir, for being the reason behind everything I strive to create today."
DR. R.A.NAIDU