Madhuri Dixit, the celebrated Bollywood actress, married Dr Shriram Nene in 1999. After their marriage, she moved to the United States to join him in Denver, where Dr Nene was working as a heart surgeon. During this period, Madhuri gradually distanced herself from her acting career.
However, in 2007, she made her comeback with Aaja Nachle and began appearing as a judge on several reality television shows. With her career picking up again, Madhuri and Dr Nene decided to relocate back to India. In a significant move, Dr Nene also gave up his well-established career as a heart surgeon to pursue work as a medical-tech entrepreneur.
In a recent conversation shared on his YouTube channel, Dr Nene reflected on the challenges he faced when deciding to leave his career as a heart surgeon. He mentioned that his parents were initially upset by his decision, particularly because he was walking away from what seemed like an ideal profession. “I am Indian, and my parents certainly weren’t happy that I was leaving the ‘prototypical’ job of a heart surgeon,” Dr Nene said. “From the outside, it looked like I had everything, the perfect job, a prestigious position, and a fulfilling career.”
Dr Nene explained that although he enjoyed his work and found it rewarding, performing open-heart surgery on just a small number of patients each year made him wonder if there was a broader impact he could make. “As a surgeon, I could operate on just 3 to 5 patients a day, and maybe 500 patients in a year,” he said. “But I thought, what if I could use technology and media to bring healthcare to everyone? There are 7 billion people on this planet. What if we could create digital solutions that could put a doctor in everyone’s pocket?”
Growing up, Dr Nene had always been interested in technology. He started a software company when he was just 14 years old. However, his parents advised him to focus on becoming either a doctor or an engineer, following the traditional career paths valued in their community. Although Dr Nene spent over 20 years as a heart surgeon, he eventually decided to take a different path and pursue his passion for tech entrepreneurship.
In 2011, Dr Nene made the decision to leave his career as a practising surgeon. The reaction from his colleagues and staff was one of shock and disappointment. “When I gave up my day job in 2011, my partners were devastated. They asked me, ‘What are you doing? We need you here,’” he shared. “Even my staff was upset by the decision.”
Initially, his parents were not supportive of his shift towards tech entrepreneurship, unsure of what the future would hold. However, as Dr Nene began to achieve success with various start-ups, their perspective changed. “At first, my parents were not warm to the idea, but when they saw the success I had with some of my ventures, they wanted to invest,” he revealed.
Dr Nene’s career transition has since been a success, as he has used his medical expertise and interest in technology to make healthcare more accessible through digital platforms. His decision to leave behind his lucrative career as a heart surgeon has had a lasting impact, both on his life and on the healthcare industry.
