Ever since childhood, Ritu had wanted to become a doctor. In her pursuit, she joined Lady Hardinge Medical College. Post MBBS, she did post-graduation in ENT and was practicing before coming to ISB in 2008. “I was on a maternity break when I decided to apply to the Post Graduate Programme in Management at ISB. I realised that this is a good time when I can learn and subsequently hope to add value towards the health advancements in India,” says Ritu. She adds, “2008 was a watershed year in my life. I had decided to make a transition from being a clinician to a management role. The corporate healthcare sector was evolving and I felt clinicians could do a lot to bridge the gap between patients, hospitals and doctors.”
Reflecting on her time at ISB, Ritu says, “The PGP experience was amazing and one of the most memorable year of my life. I gained a much wider outlook and perspective. I was elected as the president of the healthcare club at the School. I also got to present my business plan at events in Washington and Seattle. Each day at ISB was so exciting and memorable, I remember them distinctly.”
Ritu leads the flagship Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon presently and works with both clinicians and the non-medical teams. She credits her transformation to ISB. “The platform you get after graduating from ISB is what has led me to where I am today. This career shift was made possible because of the School.” Ritu believes India has the best clinician pool world over. “Our clinical outcomes and the sheer volume that we have in India gives us a very unique advantage when it comes to learning.”
On Doctor’s Day, Ritu says, “Doctors hold a unique place in the society. It is tough being a doctor because the expectations are immense. Yet, I see many of us working relentlessly day in and day outing this pandemic, irrespective of putting ourselves and our families at risk. Hats off to each doctor who continues to soldier on at the forefront.”
Brief Bio
Dr Ritu Garg is a clinician-turned management professional. Presently, she leads the flagship Fortis Memorial Research Institute as its Zonal Director. She became an ENT surgeon after graduating from Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi and is an alumna of the Indian School of Business. Dr Garg joined Fortis in 2009 looking after the development of Organisational Blueprint and medical strategy for their various hospitals. She had a brief stint with Sakra World Hospital as Vice President, Medical Strategy and Business Development & Amrop India as Principal Consultant for Healthcare practice. In 2016, she rejoined Fortis as Head – Clinical Talent Management and played an important role in bringing rigour in clinical hiring and streamlining the clinician engagement forums.
(This story is the first of a six-part series curated on the occasion of Doctor’s Day 2020.)