7 Quick Questions With Heart Rhythm Specialist Rohit Malhotra

 Heart Rhythm :Rohit Malhotra, MD, is a heart rhythm disorders specialist and cardiac electrophysiologist. He cares for UVA Health patients whose hearts don’t beat correctly.

He was one of the first doctors at UVA Health to implant a special type of pacemaker (a small device that controls your heartbeat) that doesn’t use wires and instead goes directly into the heart.

Meet a Charlottesville-Based Heart Rhythm Specialist

We asked Malhotra our 7 quick questions.

1. What has most inspired and shaped your approach to patient care?

I think what has inspired my approach to patient care is providing what’s most appropriate for the patient. In a sense, each patient kind of inspires what we do and we try and mold their treatment to what the patient needs and what’s best for them. Again, nobody’s going to do something they don’t want to do, so figuring out what they’re willing to do or able to do informs how we treat them.

2. What’s your favorite part of your job?

Actually, I like every day of my job.

There are some days where I go in and I do procedures and try and help people. Other days, I go to the clinic and see 20, maybe 25 patients, and talk to them about both themselves and their health issues, and see what I can do to help. And that makes every day interesting and different from the day before.

3. What’s your biggest fear when you’re a patient?

My biggest fear is that they won’t hear me and they won’t understand what my complaints are. But, there is an art to that. Asking people the right questions is vitally important, and then cutting through some of the chaff that comes with talking to somebody.

People often will conflate different conditions and not be able to explain the primary thing. So a lot of what we need to do is figure out, well, this issue that you’re having is related to this problem, whereas this other issue is related to this other problem. Discussion about that helps us get to the bottom of it. But in order to get there, as a provider, you need to listen.

4. What do you do for stress relief?

Outside of the hospital, I usually try to run more. I do some biking and swimming. I have 2 kids and I’m usually tailing around after 1 of the 2 of them, supporting them in what they do.

5. Dogs or cats?

I have two dogs. Although, the younger, smaller one is more like a cat. But it is a dog.

6. What’s the last movie you saw? Thumbs up or down?

I don’t know if I want to say that in public! I saw Champions, which was terrible. Truly awful. Thumbs way down.

7. What is the best advice you’ve ever heard?

Probably. “Know yourself.” Figure out who you are and what you want to do, and don’t do what other people want you to do. Figure out what you want to do.