Shantakumar Dnyaneshwar Bhandarkar

Shantakumar Dnyaneshwar Bhandarkar was a pioneer endocrinologist, devoted physician, inquisitive scientist-researcher, and a passionate teacher. He had a long and distinguished scholastic career at the Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (“GS/KEM”) in Mumbai (previously Bombay), one of India’s most prestigious institutions. He joined GS/KEM in 1949 for his medical training. As a bright and hardworking student, he was destined to rank first with many accolades and awards in the MBBS graduate degree examination in 1954. He then pursued his postgraduate studies in general and internal medicine and received his MD from the University of Bombay in1958. With strong aspirations to fulfil his ambition for further study and special training in endocrinology, Bhandarkar went to Glasgow in October 1959. While working at the Western Infirmary, where he remained until June 1961, he was elected as a fellow of faculty qua physician of the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (FRFPS) on 5 December 1960 and a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh on 7 February 1961. In 1969, he gained fellowship of the royal colleges of physicians of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

On return to his motherland, Bhandarkar joined his alma mater, GS/KEM, as honorary assistant professor of medicine in August 1962. A fierce competitive environment was visible in every field and in every specialty at GS/KEM. However, with his sincere desire to advance medical services to the poor and struggling population of India, his enthusiasm to teach and share knowledge, his constant drive to learn from the others, …