Bindu Akkanti, MD, an associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, has a deep-rooted passion for academic medicine. Every day she steps into her role, she is shaping the future of medical practice by molding the next generation of doctors and indirectly impacting the patients they will treat.
"You are by definition extending the quality of patient care you’re providing, meaning I can impact future patients without even seeing them,” said Akkanti, who also holds the Graham Distinguished Professorship in Pulmonary Medicine at McGovern Medical School.
In addition to her clinical teaching responsibilities, Akkanti serves on the McGovern Medical School Admissions Committee where she interviews prospective students like Aditi Chunduru. "I had my interview with her and I was like, ‘Yep, this is the place I want to go to with teachers like that,’” Aditi recalled.
Aditi was assigned to Akkanti’s group in the McGovern Society Advisory Program during her first year. The program provides a supportive environment for open dialogue and resource sharing among students on their educational journey. “When she walks into a room, there’s just a natural empathy seen in her body language,” Aditi observed.
Akkanti's impact extends beyond individual interactions. Nakia Armendariz, a fourth-year medical student who appreciates Akkanti's engaging lecture style said: “She really tries to get us involved. She likes to revolve it around cases and questions.”
When Armendariz started conducting clinical research, Akkanti encouraged him to present his findings at a national conference during his second year. “Anything I am interested in or want more exposure to, I can just go to her and she can connect me,” he noted.
For Akkanti herself, working with students brings immense personal satisfaction. “This is just my way of paying back my teachers I had,” she explained. “It’s an automatic extension that you want to pass on this knowledge from all those teachers you had in the past.”
The ripple effect of Akkanti’s mentorship has the potential to influence future generations of medical practitioners. “I like teaching students, and being that mentor for those who come after me,” Aditi stated. “I feel very fortunate to have a mentor like Dr. Akkanti.”
