Meet Dr. Manjul Shukla

Dr. Manjul Shukla grew up in a house that was filled with books and knowledge. “My father was a professor of physics, and my mother was a principal of a high school. When I was growing up, they always stressed the importance of education,” she recalls. “I was very interested in the sciences and was originally going to get a Master’s degree in biology, but then made the decision to go to medical school. In India, you start medical school right after high school, so you really have to decide on becoming a doctor when you’re still a teenager. I’m certainly glad I made that decision. I really love medicine and can’t imagine having any other career.”

Dr. Shukla is a highly experienced internist and has been practicing medicine at Reliant Medical Group for over 17 years. She was instrumental in starting the first Open Access program at Reliant Medical Group. Open Access leaves appointments open each day so patients can get in to see their physician on short notice. “I’m very proud of that,” she says. “It’s really helped to improve the patient care experience here. What’s the use in having great doctors if patients can’t get in to see them?”

The site manager of Reliant Medical Group at May Street, Dr. Shukla seems to have a special knack for putting patients at ease and making them feel comfortable. “I enjoy getting to know my patients personally. Not just their medical issues, but the personal issues going on in their life – often the two go hand-in-hand.”

A talented artist, Dr. Shukla paints beautiful watercolors in her spare time, some of which reside in her office. “Painting is how I relax. When you’re concentrating on a painting, it’s like everything else in the world is not there.” Dr. Shukla also enjoys practicing yoga, which she finds a great form of exercise. But more than anything else, Dr. Shukla seems to enjoy being a physician. “For me, it always comes back to the patients. When you go home at the end of the day knowing you’ve helped somebody, it makes it all worthwhile.”