(Jun 28, 2025) Whether it’s the late tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain reflecting on rhythm, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy exploring public health trust, or Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna stirring memories of India in every fragrant swirl of his cuisine, Dr. Abhay Dandekar’s podcast, Trust Me I Know What I’m Doing, brings together compelling voices from across the South Asian diaspora.
Guests have included Congressmen Ami Bera and Suhas Subramanyam, political advisor Neera Tanden, actor Madhuri Dixit who spent decades in the US after a hiatus from Indian cinema, and USA Cricket captain Saurabh Netravalkar, all joining him for thoughtful, engaging conversations. “I have been blessed to host all Indian American members of Congress,” Dr. Dandekar shares with Global Indian. His growing archive features many more fascinating names, each offering a unique lens on identity, belonging, and community.
But behind the microphone is someone just as multidimensional as the people he features. Dr. Abhay Dandekar is not only a seasoned pediatrician with over 25 years of experience, but also the Chief of Pediatrics at the Permanente Medical Group, which is the largest medical group in the U.S., with a team of more than 10,000 physicians. Also serving as an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, he has crafted his podcasts as extensions of the trust-building he has cultivated for decades in hospital wards and classrooms.
For the physician, his podcast is not a side project or detour. It’s a natural continuation of his life’s work: listening closely, creating connection, and offering space for reflection, whether with a worried parent or a trailblazing public figure. “In a way, the podcast is actually intimately related to my professional work,” he mentions. “These conversations are critical to promoting lasting relationships. They serve as an antidote to apathy.”
Listening as a clinical skill, and a creative tool
Dr. Abhay Dandekar’s professional life has long revolved around children and families. From hospital wards and emergency rooms to mobile clinics in under-resourced neighbourhoods, he has provided care in some of the most emotionally charged and fast-paced environments. “Every 15 minutes, I may meet a new family and very quickly I have to develop a rapport and cultivate trust,” he explains.
Over time, he realized that listening wasn’t just a diagnostic skill, it was the heart of what he did. “A larger role that I have grown to enjoy and prioritize is listening actively, empowering families through discussion and conversation,” he says. During the pandemic, as audio storytelling made a comeback, his belief in the healing power of words sparked the idea for his podcast.
Each episode is informal but thoughtful without any scripted narratives. They offer space for guests to reflect and connect their personal journey to broader social themes. It’s less about showcasing resumes and more about showing the human behind them.
The name and the ethos
The podcast title Trust Me I Know What I’m Doing invites both curiosity and a smile. It’s familiar to anyone who’s juggled multiple roles, navigated bicultural life, or relied on hard-won instinct. “There are so many interesting and talented individuals in our community who are achieving and leading,” Dr. Abhay says. “The confidence and self-awareness they exude is something I wanted to capture in the title.”
It also reflects his own journey as a physician who was never trained in audio production or broadcasting, but who trusted that careful listening could open up new ways of sharing and connecting. By spotlighting triumphs and vulnerabilities, the show nourishes what sociologists call “belonging capital”—the sense that your story matters in the diaspora mosaic.
Los Angeles roots, Indian anchors
Dr. Abhay’s personal story is closely connected to his parents’ immigration journey from Mumbai to Los Angeles. They moved to the U.S. in 1969 after his father was accepted into a graduate program at the University of Southern California. Later, they became the anchor that enabled both sets of grandparents to join them.
Raised amid Los Angeles’ fledgling Indian-American community of the 1970s and ’80s, Abhay learned early what it meant to feel rooted in more than one place.“Through the efforts of my parents, grandparents, and the Indian-American community of 1970s and ’80s Los Angeles, I’m lucky to speak, read, write, and enjoy all aspects of the Marathi language and Indian culture,” he shares. “It’s something that continues to shape how I engage with people and ideas.”
His connection to India has remained strong over the years. Today, along with him, his wife and two adult children maintain close ties not only to India but also to the growing global Indian community. “The vibrancy of our global community allows me to both embrace nostalgia and build on those roots,” he reflects.
A roster of range, not just renown
While high-profile names help attract listeners, Dr. Abhay Dandekar’s aim goes beyond celebrity. He selects guests whose journeys reflect the evolving contours of South Asian identity in the diaspora.
Guests like the late Zakir Hussain and Vivek Murthy bring cultural gravitas and civic relevance. Others, like Vikas Khanna and the U.S. Congressmen, offer artistic and political insight. Still others like Saurabh Netravalkar, who balances an engineering career with international cricket, and Madhuri Dixit, who returned to the spotlight after years in the U.S., offer unexpected perspectives.
It’s not about elevating individuals as role models, but about exploring their choices, missteps, and reflections. “It’s incredibly satisfying to find commonalities with people from all walks of life and learn new approaches,” Dr. Abhay says.
No hype, just honest conversations
Unlike more polished or promotional podcasts, Trust Me I Know What I’m Doing isn’t driven by algorithm or agenda. Instead, it unfolds at a human pace, offering insight rather than spectacle.
Dr Abhay’s background in medicine helps him keep the conversations grounded. He’s less interested in viral moments and more focused on what can be learned, and what can be felt when two people talk with purpose. “My small role with this podcast is to amplify and provide a focused spotlight,” he says. “With the hope that it may spark more discussion, more learning, even surprise.”
Balancing medicine, mic, and mountains
Despite his academic and clinical career, Dr Abhay has been making space for creativity, nature, and rest. “I’m an outdoor enthusiast,” he says. Beyond work, he thrives on outdoor adventures, music, sports, and travel. “Music and art of all varieties pique my curiosity and feed my soul. I value my family and culture deeply,” he mentions.
That balance between care and curiosity, family and community, is what sustains him as a doctor, academic, and now a podcaster. In a world full of noise, his podcast offers a quiet but steady space where stories unfold and identities deepen.
As the doctor-podcaster puts it: “Our global community is incredibly diverse. It’s nearly impossible to find a mirror large enough for all to see themselves. But maybe, conversation by conversation, we can build one together.”
- Follow Dr Abhay Dandekar on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook
- Curious to know more? Head to his website to explore Trust Me I Know What I’m Doing
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This is great Abhay !! I really enjoy your podcast, and I appreciate the focus on listening and storytelling, rather than spectacle. Open communication is definitely the antidote to apathy, especially in today’s fragmented media environment. Kudos to you and your family.