Gautam Arora

For more than a decade now, Dr. Gautam Arora has been providing pain management intervention and neurology services to his patients.

He has extensive experience in conducting diagnostic tests like EEG and EMG and pain management treatments such as epidurals, trigger point injections for CV patients, spinal cord stimulation, facet blocks, and cancer pain management. In addition to that, he also sees patients with neurological conditions including Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and headaches.

After several years in service, Dr. Gautam decided to open his own clinics. He opened GNG Medical in Williamsville, New York followed by the Neurology and Pain Management Clinic (NPMC) in Delhi, India. Currently, he serves as the Medical Director of both centers.

He grew up in India and graduated from the JD Tytler School before pursuing a medical course at the University College of Medical Sciences. After receiving his MBBS, he continued to take up his doctorate degree and finished his internship at the GTB Hospital until 2003.

Following his internship, he had the opportunity to jumpstart his career by becoming a Research Consultant for the State University of New York (SUNY) – Department of Neurology for two years. During his time with the department, he helped them complete their medical research for the clinical drug trials related to Stroke and Multiple Sclerosis.

Subsequently, Dr. Gautam had to finish his fellowship and residency so he spent the next five years treating patients at the Internal Medicine and Neurology Department of SUNY and the Pain Medicine Department of Emory University in Georgia.

Upon successfully finishing his training, he continued serving more patients in the states of New York and Georgia. In 2010, he was seeing patients at the South Georgia Neurological and Archbold Hospital until he moved to New York the following year. He then continued to practice his profession at the SouthTowns Neurology and Lakeshore Hospital.

In the next couple of years, Dr. Gautam’s services were made available in Hens Pain and Neurology while still being affiliated with the Lakeshore Hospital. After six years, he went back to India where he served as a Consultant Neurologist at the Kailash Hospital in Noida before returning to US and opening GNG Medical.

Right now, he manages both GNG Medical and NPMC while working on an initiative towards the development of a telehealth website that will cater to patients living in India. Called the neuroandpain.clinic, the website will offer diagnostic tests, pain management, and general neurology treatment and services.

Outside work, Dr. Gautam enjoys spending time with his three dogs or playing poker, squash, tennis, or car racing. He also dedicates his time to volunteer in community events like speaking for the Toshiba Stroke Center and the American Heart Association in the past.

Where did the idea for GNG Medical come from?

When I was still young, I really loved everything about Science. Additionally, it is my passion to help others and I thought being a doctor will help me realize this goal.

On the other hand, my cousins also played an important role in my choice of career. Back in those days, they were taking up medical courses and it inspired me to take the same path.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I start my day with a cup of coffee while going through my calendar to double-check my appointments. After that, look into my email to check on important messages from patients. Throughout the day, I oversee the operations in both clinics, although I have to do it virtually for NPMC.

How do you bring ideas to life?

When an idea pops up, I sit down and take my time, writing down the basic details that come to mind. After that, I talk with people who can help me improve on the idea with their insights. From there, we work together to turn it into reality just like what happened with the telehealth website that we developed.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Being in the medical sector, I am watching out for the development of medication and vaccines, especially that we need them in this fight against COVID-19. It is fascinating to know that finally, pharmaceutical companies are moving forward with integrating mRNA technology into their processes. Hopefully, it gets better in time.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I find time to read books and make sure to regularly check on technological advances and see which ones can be useful to healthcare providers like me.

In the past, we’ve seen the use of telehealth websites increasing but the COVID-19 outbreak significantly led to a transition. As people feared catching the virus, many avoided going to hospitals and clinics. Instead of going out, they turn to the internet for online consultations with doctors. This led me to the idea to make our services available and accessible through the telehealth website.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t forget your “why” in everything that you do because it will guide you in making the right decisions and lead you closer to your goals one step at a time.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

It is impossible to succeed without people helping you. Some may say that they are independent enough to succeed and be the best without others helping them. However, I believe that the journey towards success is like any team sport where each one would have a specific role to play and with combined efforts, they’d have greater chances of winning in the end.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I always try to find ways on how I can best serve patients. As entrepreneurs, it is very important that we always aim to improve our businesses and look for the best way possible to deliver services and products to our clients.

This is the reason why I decided to open separate clinics here in the United States and in India. And now, I’m very excited about finally having a telehealth website that will make healthcare services more accessible to people in India.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

It is important to keep our relationship with patients professionally. However, showing genuine care for them makes a huge difference because it helps you earn their trust eventually. At the end of the day, I believe that cultivating lasting relationships with patients is one of the reasons why my business is growing.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Last year has been very difficult for most of us. When WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, many patients almost avoided going to hospitals and clinics for treatment. It even made the situation harder for us because the service we provide as medical workers is also our source of income.

It was really stressful for me because I have two clinics to run. Nonetheless, I didn’t let the situation stop me. Instead, I tried to find a way in which we can continue to treat patients without giving them much burden with the costs. Thus, the neuroandpain.clinic. Starting very soon, more patients in India will be able to reach us and avail of our services in the comfort of their homes.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Since many entrepreneurs have been transitioning to providing their services and products online, I think it’s a great idea to start an online business. And now that we are in the midst of battling a pandemic, the idea of starting online pharmacies with delivery services can help a lot.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

A few days ago, I bought some stuff for my dogs. I love spending time with them so I bought a doggie travel bag that will come in handy whenever we go on trips. Aside from that, I also found this paw plunger that’s really helpful. Now, I don’t have to worry about getting my floor all muddy even after taking the dogs for a walk.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I’ve been using my calendar a lot to set reminders regarding my appointments with patients. As for monitoring and follow-up, I am currently using my email. But once we start seeing clients through neuroandpain.clinic, I’m sure it will be easier because it’s centralized and more accessible for both patients and us, healthcare providers.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I’d recommend people to read Keep Your Sanity by Carol Denbow. This book is very helpful especially now that a lot of us are stressed out because of the things that have been happening around us. To give you an idea, it will help you understand stress, what commonly causes it, and how you can cope with stressful situations. I believe this is very important right now because we need to learn how to overcome stress as it can lead to health issues and affect our lives in the long run.

What is your favorite quote?

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. – Mahatma Gandhi