Pinkesh V Rao, MBBS, MD
Dr Pinkesh Rao, MD, MBBS, is a Professor and Module Director of Physiology II in AUC-UK PGDipIMS Program of School of Medicine at University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Preston, UK. He is accomplished, highly motivated, and dedicated medical professor whose career demonstrating consistent success as an excellent educator, faculty, and administrator at various very well recognized international medical schools and universities with diverse and multi-cultural population of students and staff.
Dr. Raoearned his medical graduate degree (MBBS) from one of the prestigious medical colleges of India -Baroda Medical College and SSG Hospital, Maharaja Sayajirao University (M.S. University) of Baroda, India. After finishing his compulsory one-year houseman-ship post-MBBS, he worked rigorously as a chief medical officer in the intensive care units and trauma centres of various multi-specialty hospitals for two years. Due to his interests in academics and medical research, he then joined three years residency at Baroda Medical College and SSG Hospital, Baroda, India and got awarded his MD (physiology) in 2006. He also did one-year post-doc Fellowship in Emergency Medical Services then after. Post MD, he joined as a faculty of physiology to his alma mater –Baroda Medical College and then Govt. Medical College, Bhavnagar to teach MBBS, Physiotherapy and Nursing students until 2009. In 2009, he joined one of the very well-known American-Caribbean medical school –Medical University of the Americas (MUA), St Kitts and Nevis as an associate professor of physiology. He taught the fundamentals of core physiology and patho-physiology concepts as well as the intricacies of clinical sciences to hundreds of US-Canadian medical students with proficiency in USMLE styled curriculum during his decade+ long tenure at MUA. He also became qualified instructor of American Heart Association’s ‘Basic Life Support program for providers’ over there. When he left MUA to join AUC UK Tract program at University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), UK as a senior lecturer of physiology in Jan 2022 for good, he was professor and head of physiology department as well as site coordinator of ‘BLS for providers’ program at MUA, St Kitts and Nevis.
During seventeen years long career in medical education, he has championed the art of medical teaching by his vast knowledge, experience, and effective use of modern methods of medical education like PBL (problem-based learning), Blended learning, Flipped Classrooms, Small group activities with active learning to enrich student’s knowledge, skills, and understandings. He blends his teaching with smart use of innovative technologies too. He has worked extensively in curricular change and development exercises of conventional discipline-based curriculum as well as organ-system based curriculum at various medical schools. Dr. Rao is committed to students’ well-being, learning experience and success throughout their medical school training. He was awarded many a times “Outstanding professor” for superior teaching and commitment to quality medical education by students as well as administration.
Dr. Rao has excelled not only in medical teaching, but also in the field of medical research with main interest in endocrinology and metabolism, sleep physiology, cardiovascular physiology, exercise physiology and pedagogy of medical teaching. He has presented many papers and posters at national and international conferences, workshops, scientific meets as well as his work is published in numerous international indexed medical journals. He also won prizes for paper and poster presentations too. He is member of various prestigious professional bodies in the field of physiology, medical teaching and medicine like American Physiological Society, Association for Medical Education in Europe, America Association, and Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India. He is in the editorial board of National Journal of Integrated Research of Medicine (NJIRM).
Apart from academics and teaching, Dr. Rao is also very passionate about cricket, football, chess, yoga, cultural activities, and community services. He was founder and active member of MUA Cricket club (a cricket club of students, faculties, and locals) and an advisor to South Asian Student’s Association (a cultural club of students) at his previous institute. He successfully organized Yoga events year after year on “World Yoga Day” in St Kitts and Nevis to create awareness about various benefits of Yoga in local community in collaboration of Indian High Commission and local government. He organized many blood-donation camps, health check-up camps, health awareness programs, and socio-cultural activities as part of his commitment to community and society in the collaboration of student bodies like SGA, welfare organizations, local governments, and communities.