DR . AJ BRINGS empathy TO CANCER FIGHT

BY JO ANN KIRBY

The Young Physician Award honors Dr. Ajithkumar Puthillath, an oncologist with Stockton Hematology Oncology Medical Group, who brings a frenetic energy coupled with true empathy in everything he accomplishes.

Dr. AJ, as he is affectionately known, was in his third month of residency when he started experiencing debilitating back pain, the kind that made him question everything. He was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the spine.

“I have to stay positive. It’s been transformative in that it brings a lot more empathy because I’ve experienced pain and a chronic health struggle,” he said. This makes him even more mindful as a physician to his cancer patients. “To be anyone’s doctor is a precious thing, he said. “Their confidence and trust are the most important factors.” >>

He graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Mysore in India and earned a master’s in public health administration from City University of New York. During his Internal Medicine residency at Michigan State University, he was honored as Resident of the Year. His wife encouraged him to go into oncology and she could not be more proud of the physician he has become. After he finished his fellowship at the prestigious Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York, he and his wife found a home in the Stockton community where he is part of a thriving practice. They have found Stockton to be a very welcoming place and the warmer climate is better for his joints.

“Cancer is such a challenging field but he gives his patients hope, he is very honest with them and never sugarcoats anything. He has a very good bedside manner,” Indu Mendon said of her husband, adding that she has seen how he interacts with cancer patients firsthand. “I lost my own aunt to ovarian cancer, and he helped her through the whole practice.”

She said he comes home very sad when he can’t save a patient but gains a lot of inspiration from his patients’ strength. “It gives him great satisfaction when he can tell a patient that their cancer has gone into remission,” she said. “He tries to make the best decisions for his patients as if they were his own family.”

His own battle with AS means he battles fatigue and pain at times, but one would never know by the buoyancy he brings into a room. His wife, a special education teacher with Lincoln Unified School District, jokes that she threatens to sit down with his parents for an IEP — teacher talk for individual education plan — to discuss whether he might have a little hyperactivity issue because he is always in “rush mode.”

Dr. Prasad Dighe and Dr. Aminder Mehdi invited Dr. AJ to join their practice and he calls them “excellent mentors.” He says treating cancer is a “team effort” that includes everyone from the billing team to nurses. The practice has since grown into four locations with eight doctors.

“He is extremely bright and knowledgeable about the business aspects of running an oncology office,” Dr Dighe said. “It is because of him that we today are doing well as Stockton Hematology Oncology Medical Group not only in Stockton but also in Lodi, Tracy and Manteca.

“ He is extremely bright and knowledgeable about the business aspects of running an oncology office . It is because of him that we today are doing well as Stockton Hematology Oncology Medical Group not only in Stockton but also in Lodi, Tracy and Manteca." - DR. PRASAD DIGHE

He served as chief of staff at Lodi Memorial and is presently chairman of its Bioethics Committee. He is also the chair of St. Joseph Medical Center’s Breast Cancer Program, is a board member at Lodi Memorial and serves as director of SJMC’s Palliative Care Program. Recruiting doctors to San Joaquin County is a priority as well and to that end he is proud to be a faculty member for the Internal Medicine Training program at SJMC.

Dr. AJ splits his time between the Stockton and Lodi offices. “The doctors I joined are so great. It’s very small group that allows me to grow,” he said, in his office, which is brightly decorated by colorful artwork done by his wife and two daughters. “I owe a lot to my wife who has been steadfast in her support and confidence.”

It also allows him time to spend with his family. He and his wife have two daughters, Arya is 12 and Akshara is 8. The closeknit family enjoys travel to far-flung locations, even sampling sushi in Japan and learning more about the culture of that country. He is a fun-loving dad who loves Disneyland as much as his kids and he has also coached his daughter’s Science Olympiad team to victory. A wine collector and self-described “foodie”, Dr. AJ is the person to ask about the best places to dine. He and his wife are very close to their parents and other family. Indu jokes that her mom calls more to talk to her son-in-law than her own daughter.

The Young Physician Award was a surprise to Dr. AJ, but his wife said its well deserved. The son of a mom who worked as an elementary school principal and father who worked in a factory, the importance of resilience, hard work and integrity were instilled in him from an early age.

“He never expected this, and he doesn’t do any of the things he does to get recognition,” she said. “It’s called karma. You do your best for the satisfaction of a job well done.”

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