Personal details Dr P K Rajiv was an exceptionaly bright student with his class teacher remarking in the 4 standard that he would touch the sky. This prophecy was highlighted in his illuminous high school career where he stood first in the class in the eighth,nineth and tenth standards. He subsequently secured A grade in ISC ( Indian school certificate exam equivalent to GCE cambridge) . His 91 % aggregate in Pre degree exams landed him a MBBS seat in the medical colleges of kerala and his entrance exam marks made him secure a MBBS seat in the Armed Forces Medical College Pune in 1976 Dr Rajiv was born of parents brigadier p.k lakshmanan and mother premavalli. His father was a distinguished doctor who was selected by the government to head the medical side of the army training delegation to Ethiopia. His meritorious service was recognised by the emperor of ethiopia giving him a gold medal of the star of ethiopia1966. On his return to India and in recognition of his various innovations which had impact on army healthcare he was awarded the VSM vishist seva medal a prestigious army decoration for an army man in peacetime 1967. He retired as deputy director of medical services DDMS in 1984. after serving the army for 28 years.

Medical School
Dr Rajiv joined medical college calicut kerala in 1976. He obtained distinction in pharmacology and passed his MBBS in the first attempt with an aggregate of 63 %. He did his internship from madras medical college in 1982.He went on to pursue his postgraduate career in pediatrics( DCH )from SSG MEDICAL College in baroda gujerat in 1983.He obtained MD pediatrics seat in Kasturba Medical College KMC mangalore ,a pioneering institution in medical sciences for almost 5 decades. He passed out in the first attempt. His professor remarked "you have a great future ahead. please subspecialise in neonatology or pediatric cardiology This was 1988,.when both specialities were rudimentary and at their infancy in India.This wise counsel changed the horizon of newborncare in kerala and India

Subspeciality Training
Dr Rajiv had applied for training in neonatal intensivecare at kinderkilinic universitat vienna in 1988 under the auspicies of the american medical society and was trained under Dr. Georg simbrunner a legend in the european neonatal circuit and currently the chairman of IPOKRATES foundation which delivers state of the art lectures on current neonatal topics worldwideHe was subsequently selected on the basis of merit into the postgraduate programme of westmead hospital new south wales sydney university . 1989 his mentor Dr. Elizabeth john was a legend of neonatal care in australia. his intensive training and dogmatic indoctrination fine tuned his clinical reflexes and made him an astute neonatologist. 1991His desire to upgrade and get exposed to various schools of ventilator management made him undergo high frequency training , nitric oxide therapy in 1997 in the university of Iowa under Dr. Edward bell.He had a brief observership under Dr. Keith barrington at the san diego medical centre USA.and Dr. Dhani reddy at georgetown university washington DC. This exposure was central to his moving towards gentle ventilation and CPAP. His fascination to work with the best in the field made him undergo oberservership under Dr. Martin Kezzler an authority on high frequency jet ventilation and volume ventilation in 2002.This intensive exposure to various schools of ventilator experts worldwide made him an adept neonatal intensivist with a near 98% survival of ventilated neonates above 26 weeks gestation . He decided to impart this immense resource to train aspiring doctors in ventilatory care since 1995 .