Dr. Smita Rai
Experience: | 8 years |
Education: | MD |
Academic degree: | Doctor of Medicine in Ayurveda |
Area of specialization: | I am an MD in Dravyaguna, which is the Ayurvedic science of medicinal plants – their properties, actions, and therapeutic uses. My work is deeply connected to understanding how herbs interact with the body, not just in theory but in real patient care. I study rasa, guna, virya, vipaka and prabhava of each dravya, and how they can be combined for maximum healing without side effects. This knowledge lets me design herbal formulations that are specific to a patient’s prakruti, disease stage, and season. I work with raw herbs, churnas, kashayas, oils, and other preparations – always choosing the right dravya for the right condition, whether it’s for digestion, skin issues, respiratory problems, metabolic disorders, or chronic pain. For me, Dravyaguna is not just about plants, it’s about matching the right natural resource to the right person at the right time, and seeing how even small doses can create big changes in health when used properly. |
Achievements: | I am grateful to have recieved the M2M project from the Gujarat government – a step that really pushed me to work on a bigger scale beyond regular clinic work. This project gave me the chance to apply my Ayurvedic knowledge in a structured, government-backed framework, reaching more people and creating practical impact. It was both a responsibility and a learning curve, showing how planning & execution matter as much as treatment itself. |
I am working as an Assistant Professor at Parul Institute of Ayurved and Research for about 2.5 years now, and honestly, teaching Ayurveda while staying connected to clinical practice is its own kind of learning. In the classroom, I handle both theory and practical sessions – guiding students through classical texts, treatment protocols, case discussions, and the finer points of diagnosis like Nadi Pariksha or Prakriti assessment. It’s not just about giving lectures, it’s about helping them see how each shloka or principle actually connects to real patient care. Alongside academics, I’m involved in supervising clinical postings where students interact with OPD and IPD cases. This means I get to bridge the gap between their book knowledge and the challenges of actual practice – like what to do when a patient’s condition doesn’t fit the “perfect” description from the texts, or how to adapt Panchakarma therapies based on the patient’s strength and season. Working in an academic setup also means contributing to departmental activities, curriculum planning, and sometimes even research-related discussions. I believe Ayurveda needs both preservation of its traditional roots and openness to evidence-based validation, so I encourage my students to think critically while staying grounded in the classics. For me, the most rewarding part is seeing students develop confidence – that moment when they can explain a concept clearly or design a treatment plan that makes sense for a real case. My own practice benefits too, because teaching forces you to constantly revisit the fundamentals and stay sharp. It’s a role that keeps me learning every single day.
