The first time I met Dr. Jain was at the Hamilton Open House. He seemed shy to me at first as he came up to me and asked, “What am I supposed to be doing?” I told him just to mingle and introduce himself to people. The next thing I know, I turn around and he is laughing with strangers and playing with the little children. A few weeks later I hear that he has volunteered his services at the football games, to be on the sidelines and help (medically) whenever needed.

Dr. Jain has jumped right in to the community of Hamilton, and his kind heart and fun personality will make him an outstanding provider for Northwest Health Services and the Hamilton Medical Clinic.

AG: What do you practice?
DJ: Family Medicine

AG: Where did you go to school? What was your education like?
DJ: I went to medical school was in India (instruction was all in English) and did my residency in Toledo, OH.  School was hard work but I had a lot of friends so it made schooling easier.

AG: How long have you been practicing medicine?
DJ: 10 yrs, including my residency

AG: Why did you choose to work at a community health center rather than a private practice or hospital?
DJ: The need is more. You tend to build more relationships rather than focusing on the business or corporate aspect. If I had my own private practice, I would be more worried about my business. Now I can be more concerned with my patients.

AG: Describe what your first few months in Hamilton were like. Were they what you expected?
DJ: They were much more than what I expected. The people are so friendly, especially since I’ve gotten involved in the community with the football team and the Methodist church. The love that my wife and I have seen in the community has excited us. It is quiet and peaceful away from the big city, and I love that.

AG: Tell me about your home country.
DJ: My home town is Bathinda, India. It is a pretty big town (300,000 people). It is a big farming community, not any major industries. The whole system in Bathinda is not organized. People don’t stand in lines or pay a certain price for things (they use bribery). As far as medicine is concerned, they talk about medicine but don’t practice evidenced based medicines (one of the reasons that made me come here).  People are not as educated, so they just go by what has been done by their family in the past (as far as medicine goes).

One things that is more common in India than America that is nice is that when parents or grandparents get older and are in bad health, they live with their children, and their children help take care of them instead of sending them to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Family is very important.

AG: What things do you miss about India?
DJ: Parents, friends, food.

AG: What has been the biggest change to adjust to while living in the States?
DJ: Understanding the culture. Getting involved in sports and trying to learn and enjoy it (I didn’t know anything about football.) The funniest incident was when my program director asked me about the Super Bowl and I didn’t know anything about it-he made fun of me for a long time.

A nice adjustment is that the system is organized. For example, we go to the DMV and hand them our papers, and then just take care of everything. There is no corruption or need to bribe.

AG: What health concerns do you see with the people of Hamilton, MO?
DJ: 2 major areas- 1. Diabetes. 2. Smoking. What I want for the community is to care more about their health status and seek help as soon as possible instead of waiting until they are already too sick.

AG: How do you feel the quality of care patients receive at NHS is compared to other places you’ve worked?
DJ: My residency training was in a hospital, and I have also worked in a university setting and community hospital. The quality of care is better, and I say that, because we have benchmarks set for our own company. There is ongoing education and continuous improvement.  We have monthly or quarterly educational meeting, and we (providers) have logs that we look at to maintain and achieve benchmarks and the quality of care.

AG: What health topics are you passionate about?
DJ: Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Geriatric care, Pediatrics, and Sports Medicine

AG: What are your hobbies?
DJ: travel, working out, reading

AG: What would your alternate career choice be?
DJ: I wanted to be an engineer or go into the army.

AG: What is your favorite food?
DJ: American: Olive Garden. Indian: chicken curry

AG: Where would you like to travel?
DJ: Have: US and India, UK. Want: Italy, Canada, Caribbean

AG: Who has been the most influential person in your life and why?
DJ: My mom. She was the one who made me choose this path to become a doctor, and I’m really thankful to her for that, seeing myself where I am today. She has always been a motivation because she has had lots of medical problems, so when I see her it givse me more passion and compassion for the work I am doing.

If you’d like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jain, call the Hamilton Medical Clinic at 660-583-2151.

Anna G.