Dr Tejal Lathia

Dr Tejal Lathia is currently a Consultant Endocrinologist at Apollo and Fortis Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. She joined MGIMS, Sewagram in 1996 and went on to complete her MD Medicine in 2007 at her alma mater. She passed her DM in Endocrinology with a gold medal from TN Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai in 2010.

Her time at Sewagram; both in her adopted village Pujai and in the Medicine Department, laid the foundation for what has turned out to be her life’s work – doctor-patient communication. She learned by watching her teachers; that respecting the people we treat, regardless of socioeconomic status is the cornerstone of good medicine. And every patient deserves to be spoken to in an empathetic and compassionate manner.

She is now a clinician – researcher. Her main area of research is doctor-patient communication in the context of Diabetes, Thyroid and Obesity. She has authored ‘Language Matters for people living with Type 2 diabetes in India’, a document which examines the gap between physician delivered and patient expected communication.

She is also deeply interested in and has published research in international papers in Women’s health in Endocrinology. She is currently collaborating with the University of Birmingham, UK as part of the DAISY PCOS project to study Emotional Wellbeing in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and MDT approach to manage PCOS better.

She works as a Consultant and Advisor at an Amazon-funded Digital Therapeutic company – Fitterfly. She helps design and deliver lifestyle solutions for people living with diabetes based on CGM technology and a multidisciplinary approach.

She authors a fortnightly blog which attempts to humanise doctors and bring to light their struggles in a changing healthcare landscape. This blog also documents her own personal journey – how drawing boundaries and spiritual growth can impact patient experience. She believes in the philosophy that to write good sentences, you need to read good sentences. Pursuant to this; she is a voracious reader averaging 3-4 books a week (often simultaneously). She is currently pursuing a course in writing from the University of Michigan, USA.

She lives in Navi Mumbai with her husband (an MGIMS batchmate), her son and dog.