Jaimin J. Patel, MD

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India and lived there until the age of 7. Afterwards, I moved to Bradenton, Florida, where I spent the remainder of my time prior to starting college.

What is your medical school/undergraduate background?

I am a Floridian at heart—by that I mean I went to the University of Florida for undergraduate education (Go Gators!) and then went to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for medical school. The only time I have left Florida was during a research year at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Why are you pursuing a career in ENT?

My underlying reason to pursue a career in ENT stems from having the opportunity to play a role in crafting a patient's identity. I experienced this first-hand on a number of occasions, with family members to patients on rotation. A happy memory I relish is when a post-lingually deaf patient had his cochlear implant activated. Hearing his wife's voice again brought tears of joy down his face, restoring his identity.

What intrigued you about IU School of Medicine?

Beginning with the pre-interview dinner, I met a great group of residents, whom I imagined myself working with right away. They were welcoming, down to earth, and shared their experiences thus far while giving tips about the interview day. Their genuine enthusiasm for the program reinforced my decision to rank IU School of Medicine as my top choice. In addition to the residents, the interview day was also a great experience. IU has subspecialty-trained faculty members that cover all facets within otolaryngology. The training program is also designed around a multi-hospital system, allowing for a wide variety of training opportunities and patient experiences. Lastly, Indianapolis is a very family-friendly place to settle down as a young professional.

What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology?

Residency is a time to learn patient care, ask questions and develop your persona as an independent otolaryngologist. With guidance from the faculty members, I would like to nurture my own persona while establishing lifelong mentors. In addition, I hope to learn how to create a healthy work-life-balance from senior residents and discover hidden gems of Indianapolis with a great group of friends.

What are some of your hobbies?

Cooking, podcasts, hiking, traveling, dancing (free style/garba/bhangra), Netflix-binging, videogaming.