Doctor turns teaching an inspiration

Prof  Dr S Vijay Mohan’s journey from physician to medical educator is marked by classrooms, conferences and an unwavering commitment to the next generation of doctors

In an era when medical education is increasingly shaped by technology, examinations and competition, Prof  Dr S Vijay Mohan has chosen a more enduring path, to remain close to the student and make teaching a lifelong mission.

A senior physician, academician and medical educator, Dr. Vijay Mohan has more than 25 years of experience in Internal Medicine, Critical Care and medical education. His professional journey includes serving as Professor and Head of Internal Medicine at Deccan Medical College, Hyderabad, and as Founder and Head of Internal Medicine at CARE Group of Super Speciality Hospitals, Hyderabad. He is currently a Senior Consultant Physician at Kamineni Hospitals, Boggulakunta, King Koti.

 A classroom built out of conviction

Perhaps the most striking expression of his passion for teaching is a 60-seater, state-of-the-art “personal classroom” that he established to provide medical education free of cost to students. For the past decade, the classroom has evolved into a learning centre used by medical students, reflecting his belief that knowledge becomes more valuable when it is shared.

His commitment became particularly visible during the COVID-19 lockdown. In just 75 days, he delivered 150 online lectures to medical students, frequently using live patient examples to bring clinical medicine into the virtual classroom. The scale of this teaching effort earned special recognition and became one of the defining chapters of his academic career. Public reporting has also highlighted this 150-lecture achievement.

Beyond the lecture hall

Dr. Mohan has participated in over 120 medical conferences in India and abroad as a speaker, chairperson and panel member, inspiring students to pursue state, national and international platforms, with several earning university ranks, medals and awards. He organized PGCON 2016 exclusively for postgraduate students, followed by COVID-CON 2020, described as the first international online COVID-19 conference, attracting nearly 1,500 doctors from several countries. Under API, he organized TS-APICON 2021, bringing around 800 delegates together for one of the first major in-person physicians’ gatherings after the COVID-19 lockdown.

Medicine, mentorship and reform

His academic interests span Clinical Medicine, Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Neurocritical Care, Cardio-Diabetology, Heart Failure, Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Metabolic Syndrome, Hospital Infection Control, Acute and Critical Medical Care, complex medical conditions and multisystem disease management.

For more than two decades, however, one subject has remained central to his thinking: medical education. His articles, including Medical Education First, Save the Sinking Stethoscope and Medical Education in India Taking a New Turn Today, have reflected his continuing campaign to improve medical education standards in India. He has also received appreciation from eminent figures in the Central Government for this national contribution.

The professor students remember

Dr. Mohan’s qualifications include MBBS from Osmania Medical College, Osmania University, and MD in Internal Medicine from Karnataka University, along with FCGP, FAMS, FICP and MACP (USA). He has been a Visiting Professor in the United States and has mentored students from several countries. His career has earned him Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2023 and 2024.

Yet, beyond titles and honours, his most enduring legacy may be the students who continue to remember him as a teacher who opened doors, shared knowledge freely and believed that educating one doctor could ultimately improve the lives of countless patients.