By Krishiv Shah
What happens when more than a thousand physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, public-health experts, and students gather under one roof to talk shop—and soul? BAPS Charities’ first-ever Healthcare Professionals Conference (HPC25), held this month in Houston, proved that medicine can still feel like a calling, even in an age of AI diagnostics and 15-minute clinic slots.
Across three packed days, 1,150 delegates representing 30-plus specialties followed the conference mantra—“Enrich, Explore, Empower”—through nine breakout tracks and 14 CE/CME-accredited sessions. Yes, there were deep dives into emerging tech, health-equity metrics, and the algorithms reshaping clinical decision-making. But the heartbeat of HPC25 was louder than the data: every discussion circled back to compassion, humility, and seva (selfless service), ideals many of us grew up hearing at mandir but rarely see spotlighted at medical meetings.
Mahima Dave, PharmD, captured the sentiment bluntly: “This wasn’t just a conference—it was a reawakening of what it means to heal.” That theme echoed in keynote speaker Jason Glover’s “Four L’s” of compassionate leadership—Love, Learn, Little Things Matter, Larger Than Each of Us—and in hallway huddles where seasoned clinicians swapped burnout survival tips with pre-meds still hunting for shadowing hours.
For Indian-American youth dreaming of white coats, HPC25 felt like permission to bring our whole selves to the future of healthcare. Dr. Yagnesh Dave, an internist from Atlanta, put it simply: “Most meetings teach you what to do. This one reminded me why.” As first-gen children who’ve balanced parental expectations with our own ambitions, we know that why can get blurry somewhere between MCAT flashcards and residency spreadsheets. HPC25 sharpened it again.
Breakout rooms buzzed with practical takeaways—how AI can close, not widen, care gaps; strategies to translate research into rural clinics; lessons on inter-professional teamwork. Yet delegates lingered longest at sessions on mindfulness, spiritual resilience, and dharma-driven leadership. “The reminder that healing is both a science and a service was powerful,” said Houston pharmacist-researcher Sara Rogers. Dr. Sachin Shah of San Jose agreed: “It reignited the spirit of service in every attendee I spoke with.”
That spark may travel far beyond Texas. BAPS Charities showcased its health initiatives in India, challenging participants to serve underserved communities abroad and at home. As pharmacy consultant Rasesh Patel summed up, “In a profession where burnout is common, this event offered something rare: healing, purpose, reconnection.”
If the goal of HPC25 was to enrich knowledge, explore new frontiers, and empower caregivers, it also quietly issued a fourth call—to embody the values we inherit from our culture. For the next generation of Indian-American medical professionals, that might be the most transformative continuing-education credit of all.
Krishiv Shah, the founder and submission coordinator of Kaleidoscope, is an Indian-American senior at Syosset High School with aspirations to pursue a degree in International Studies and Business.
