Meet Dr. Nirav Pandya (Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at UCSF)

About Dr. Nirav Pandya:Dr. Nirav Pandya lives in Oakland, California and is the Chief of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at UCSF and Director of Pediatric Sports Medicine at Children’s Hospital Oakland. He’s also a huge basketball fan (especially the Warriors) and breaks down NBA injuries for fans on social media in a way that’s actually easy to understand. He grew up outside Chicago, went to med school at University of Chicago, and somehow still finds time to DJ, be a dad, and keep up with both hip hop and bhangra music. Basically, he’s got range.

What was most fun about this conversation:I really liked hearing how he mixed being a DJ with both Indian and American music at parties. That image of him spinning hip hop and then switching to Indian music for a crowd of Indian Americans all figuring out their identity was just cool. Also, his story about showing up to baseball practice with a cricket bat had me cracking up—it was funny but also said a lot about what it’s like to grow up between cultures.

What I was inspired by:What hit me the most was when he talked about trying to hide his Indian side in middle school just to fit in—and then later realizing he didn’t need to. That moment of going from embarrassed to proud of his culture really stood out. It made me think about how a lot of us go through that same thing, especially when you feel like you have to choose between being Indian and being “normal.” He showed that once you stop hiding and start embracing who you are, it actually makes everything better—career, relationships, all of it.

What many of us Americans can relate with:So much of what Dr. Pandya talked about was just super normal stuff. Like being obsessed with sports to fit in. Watching games with his dad. Yelling at the TV. Wanting to impress people in high school. Struggling with what career to pick. Feeling embarrassed of your family traditions until you grow up and realize they’re actually kind of awesome. All of that stuff is universal.

What I will think more about:His point about how Indian culture gets over-simplified was big. Like when people say “you guys all eat curry” or assume all Indian people are doctors or tech nerds. He said India is way too diverse to be summed up in a few stereotypes, and honestly, the same is true for any group. It reminded me that if we want people to understand us better, we need to actually tell our stories—not to preach, but just to show how complex and real we are. That’s the goal with this whole podcast.

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