February 15, 2026, wasn’t just about inaugurating a new OPD block at Vidya Jeevan. It was about something far more precious sitting in a room where legends shared decades of wisdom, life lessons, and the kind of advice that changes careers.
Over 1500 students gathered to hear Prof. Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty and other stalwarts speak. What unfolded was magic.
The Man Who Works at 84
Let’s talk about Prof. Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty first. At 84 years old, his OPD runs till midnight with over 100 patients waiting. He owns 25-30 acres of land with multiple institutions two hospitals, nursing college, physiotherapy college. He’s Pro-Chancellor of NITTE University with 40+ institutions.
But here’s what hit different: In 1984, he started the first-ever postgraduate course in Mangalore across all subjects. The first orthopedic surgeon of Mangalore. A pioneer who’s still making split-second decisions that shape careers.
That’s not retirement. That’s legacy in motion.
Why “Samvedana”? Prof. Dr. Anil Dhal Explains
Dr. Apurv Mehra had given Prof. Dr. Anil Dhal one instruction: the name must start with ‘S’ (keeping with Vidya Jeevan’s tradition Swarn Auditorium, Sabra, Shukra).
Prof. Dhal considered two names:
Santvana – providing solace to patients in pain
Samvedana – empathy and sensitivity
He chose Samvedana. Why?
“For a healer, empathy is the most important quality. Just by listening to a patient, by telling them they’ll be alright, you provide so much satisfaction. And as an orthopedic surgeon interested in peripheral nerve surgery, sensitivity matters deeply to me. Even a blind man can navigate if he has sensation intact.”
That’s the depth behind the name.
The Galaxy of Teachers
The stage had legends who’ve shaped Indian orthopedics:
- Prof. Dr. S.M. Tuli – whose 7th edition book on tuberculosis remains a bible for doctors
- Prof. Dr. V.B. Bhasin – one of India’s foremost arthroscopic surgeons
- Prof. Dr. Anil Dhal – former HOD at Maulana Azad Medical College
- Dr. Arun Kakkar – who reunited with Prof. Dr. Shantharam Shetty after 50 years
- Prof. Dr. Sudhir Kumar – the man of integrity, builder, and daydreamer
Prof. Dr. Shantharam Shetty called them out beautifully: “Dr. Apurv and Dr. Sudhir are daydreamers who cannot sleep at night until their dreams are realized. That’s the kind of dreamer we all should be.”
Advice That Actually Matters
On Choosing the Right Institution
“A journey of a thousand miles depends on the first bold step taken. You’ve chosen the right institution—Conceptual will train you to be what you are. You’ll always remember this place.”
On Failure
“Thomas Edison failed 1,036 times before lighting that lamp. He said, ‘I taught people how NOT to light a lamp 1,036 times.’ Edmund Hillary failed at the 13th step of Mount Everest, came back, and told the mountain, ‘I will conquer you next year.’ And he did.
Failures are stepping stones to success.”
On Teamwork
“Captain is only a captain who guides. If the wicket keeper doesn’t stump in time, if the slip fielder misses the catch, if the bowler bowls too many loose balls, we lose. Conceptual is a perfect cricket team. No individual can do everything. Teams make the difference.”
On Knowledge vs Exams
“Getting through examinations is not important. Attaining knowledge is. Knowledge is power. Don’t just buy heart from books, truly understand what you learn.”
On Time Management
“Work 16 hours a day. Be time conscious. Dr. Kakkar used to remind us 9 o’clock sharp, OPD starts. Everyone from top to bottom was there at 9. Time and tide wait for none.”
On Planning
“Action without plan is futility. Plan without action is disaster. Only when you plan and execute perfectly, you succeed.”
The Best Gift a Father Can Give His Daughter
He started off by saying daughters are gifts from God. Not that sons aren’t—but there’s a difference between raising a daughter and raising a son, and he wanted to be clear about that.
“The best thing a father can teach his daughter? How to love. How to be compassionate. How to be a good citizen. He talked about how much daughters, mothers, and sisters shape our lives, how we owe so much of what this country is to the women who built it, raised it, held it together.
Then he said something that landed hard: “The best gift a father can give his daughter is to respect and love her mother.
Simple. Profound. True.
He also had strong opinions about marriage timing. “Get married early. Don’t wait around.”
His reasoning was practical: if you’re getting married at 35 or 40, you’ll be pushing 65 by the time your kids are in college. “Get married early and face life,” he said. Not as a command, more like advice from someone who’s watched enough lives unfold to know what works
Thank Your Parents
“Thank God for making you a doctor. Only 13,800 registered allopathic doctors exist in India. You’re one of them. Thank your parents, especially mothers. You may not know how many times your mother went to the temple when you appeared for exams. You don’t know the sacrifices they made.”
Give Back to Society
“We are the minority who’ve been given this privilege. It’s our duty to give back to society what society has given us. Let us not be a small lamp that withers away. Let us be an illuminating lamp that lights the lives of our fellow men.”
What Made This Evening Special
This wasn’t a lecture. It was legacy being passed down. Wisdom earned through 50-60 years of practice, teaching, building institutions, treating patients till midnight at 84, and still dreaming big.
The students didn’t just hear advice. They witnessed what dedication, consistency, empathy, and teamwork actually look like when practiced over a lifetime.
As Prof. Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty blessed everyone: “Whatever subjects you’ve chosen, I’m sure you’ll make it. May God bless you all.”
The legends had spoken. And Vidya Jeevan will remember.
