From Pediatrics to American Ninja Warrior with Dr. Steven J. Bachta

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: From Pediatrics to American Ninja Warrior with Dr. Steven J. Bhakta

Date: August 30, 2025
Host: Chanel Bunger
Guest: Dr. Steven J. Bhakta, Pediatric Hospitalist, Endeavor Health Medical Group

---

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Steven J. Bhakta, a pediatric hospitalist at Endeavor Health Medical Group and a competitor on American Ninja Warrior. Dr. Bhakta discusses his career as a physician, his journey into obstacle course competition inspired by his children, and the powerful life lessons that bridge his medical practice and athletic pursuits. The conversation dives into balancing demanding roles, embracing unexpected opportunities, and advice for current and budding leaders in healthcare.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Bhakta’s Background and Path to Medicine

[00:22–01:16]

• Grew up in Morton Grove, Illinois; undergraduate at Knox College, medical school and residency at University of Chicago.
• Experience includes Seattle Children’s Hospital, Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and a decade at Endeavor North Shore University.
• Roles as pediatric hospitalist: cares for hospitalized children, especially those seriously ill.
• Married to a fellow physician; father of two (ages 7 and 10).

Inspiration and Entry into American Ninja Warrior

[01:27–02:03]

• Inspiration stemmed from watching American Ninja Warrior Junior with his kids.
• Daughter’s interest in the sport led the family to local ninja gyms in Chicago.
• Quote (Dr. Bhakta, 01:42):
  “She'd always liked playgrounds and stuff, so it kind of was natural to, like, be hanging and swinging on things. And then I was like, that looks really fun. And so I started doing it with her, and the rest is history.”

Balancing Medicine and High-Level Training

[02:13–03:08]

• Manages training intensity and hospital shifts (24-hour shifts allow recovery and focused training days).
• Admits to not training as much as professionals, but improvement has come over years.
• Highlights the joy of progression with his children:
  “It’s been super fun. Cuz all it is is playing with my kids and we just get better together.” (Dr. Bhakta, 03:01)

Challenges and Memorable Moments on the Course

[03:16–04:20]

• Most memorable moment: hitting the qualifier buzzer after years of setbacks.
• Overcoming frequent early falls and self-doubt, both on the course and in medicine.
• Draws a parallel between resilience in competition and medicine:
  "Sometimes we can't save a child and it's hard... You gotta come pick yourself up, try again, and then hopefully the next time you can do some good.” (Dr. Bhakta, 04:13)

Transferrable Lessons: Medicine and Ninja Warrior

[04:32–06:18]

• Worried training might detract from being a better doctor; discovered the opposite.
• Training for ninja competition deepened his skills as a teacher and mentor at work.
• Emphasizes breaking down complex skills into micro-steps—valuable for both athletics and physician education.
• One-on-one coaching, whether on the course or in the hospital, yields deeper impact.
• Quote (Dr. Bhakta, 05:27):
  “Every hand movement is important. And in the same way I think when you're teaching medicine, the more you can break things down at a micro level, it can really have a big impact.”

Looking Forward: The Next Season

[06:27–08:19]

• Announces return to American Ninja Warrior, Season 18.
• Each season is a new application process; family is central to the experience.
• Reflects on achieving all personal goals in the sport, shifting perspective:
  “It's a lot easier now because there's really no way I can fail... I've done everything I could ever think to accomplish in this sport, I've done.” (Dr. Bhakta, 07:29)
• Excited to share this season more deeply with his now-older children.

Leadership Advice for Evolving Healthcare Leaders

[08:35–09:29]

• Advocates flexible life planning and openness to unexpected journeys.
• Child-led exploration into Ninja Warrior exemplifies how being receptive leads to unique opportunities.
• Quote (Dr. Bhakta, 09:03):
  “If I held rigidly to that structure my entire life, this ninja warrior experience would have never, ever happened ... it doesn't have to be someone amazing and super talented that leads you on a journey. It can be a child.”

Final Words to Healthcare Peers

[09:42–10:23]

• Expresses pride in healthcare work, especially navigating the challenges of Covid-19.
• Encourages colleagues to recognize the value and fulfillment inherent in their work.
• Quote (Dr. Bhakta, 10:07):
  “I just want people to know that what we do is important. People do really appreciate what we do... I hope everyone takes care of themselves and is proud of what they do.”

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On introducing his children to Ninja Warrior:
  "I was like, that looks really fun. And so I started doing it with her, and the rest is history.” (Dr. Bhakta, 01:55)

• On blending parenthood, medicine, and competition:
  "All it is is playing with my kids and we just get better together.” (Dr. Bhakta, 03:01)

• On resilience in both healthcare and athletics:
  "You gotta come pick yourself up, try again, and then hopefully the next time you can do some good.” (Dr. Bhakta, 04:11)

• On unexpected benefits of his Ninja journey:
  “I've learned a lot from Ninja that has applied back to medicine in interesting ways.” (Dr. Bhakta, 04:56)

• On life plans and unexpected journeys:
  “If I held rigidly to that structure (...), this ninja warrior experience would have never, ever happened ... it doesn't have to be someone amazing and super talented that leads you on a journey. It can be a child.” (Dr. Bhakta, 09:03)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Background and Role: 00:22–01:16
• Path to Ninja Warrior: 01:27–02:03
• Balancing Competing Demands: 02:13–03:08
• Most Memorable Moment, Resilience: 03:16–04:20
• Transferrable Skills Between Medicine & Athletics: 04:32–06:18
• Season 18 Announcement and Personal Growth: 06:27–08:19
• Leadership Advice: 08:35–09:29
• Final Message to Healthcare Professionals: 09:42–10:23

---

Conclusion

Dr. Steven Bhakta’s journey is a testament to the value of remaining open to new experiences, embracing resilience in the face of setbacks, and leveraging the lessons of unconventional pursuits to enrich professional life. His story encourages healthcare professionals and leaders to find balance, nurture curiosity, and sustain pride in their essential work.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. My name is Chanel Bunger. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Steven Bhakta, pediatric hospitalist at Endeavor Health Medical Group, who joins the podcast today to share insights in his background, his experience as a competitor on American Ninja Warrior, advice for leaders, and a bit more. Dr. Bhakta, thank you so much for joining me today.

[B]

Thanks for having me. Excited to be here.

[A]

Perfect. And before we get into everything, could you please take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background and Endeavor Health Medical Group?

[B]

Absolutely. I grew up in Morton Grove, Illinois, which is just a northern suburb of Chicago, and went to school for undergrad at Knox College and then medical school at University of Chicago. Did my residency there. I've also practiced as a pediatric hospitalist at Seattle Children's Hospital, and then for a while in Boston at Tufts Medical Center. Then for the past about 10 years, I've worked here at Endeavor North Shore University, and I'm a pediatric hospitalist. So that just means I take care of all the sick kids in the hospital. So any hospitalized child, that's my specialty. And it's a great job. And I. Super. I enjoy it. Also. I have two kids who are 7 and 10, and my wife is also a physician.

[A]

Got it. Got it. Thank you so much for the introduction. And now moving into the meat of the podcast a bit. What first inspired you to take on the challenge of American Ninja Warrior and how did your background prepare you for it?

[B]

So it all starts with my kids. Literally, we were sitting at home watching. There was a junior show at the time, American Injury Warrior Junior, where kids got to run the course. And so my daughter, we had kind of been looking for different sports, and none of them really clicked, but she's like, oh, let's go try that if we can find a gym. And it turns out Chicago has, like, really good gyms. We have, like, several to choose from, so we went to a open gym. She loved it. She'd always liked playgrounds and stuff, so it kind of was natural to, like, be hanging and swinging on things. And then I was like, that looks really fun. And so I started doing it with her, and the rest is history.

[A]

Got it. Got it. And now being a doctor is obviously a very demanding job. How did you manage to train and compete at such a high level while balancing all of that?

[B]

It's been tricky, I'll say that. So what's nice is with my shifts are 24 hour shifts, and so I don't work every Single day so I can work a shift, then the next day recovery and then the next day I might have off so then I can work in training on that day. So it's, it's flexible where I can get some training in on off hours. Because the gym is hard to find time to train sometimes at the gym. So I have some flexibility there. But you know, it's, it's been, it's. I certainly cannot train as much as some of the professionals. So that's why it's taken me. It's been a process. So this is my fifth year doing it and my first few years I was not very good. So I think that that's what you have to understand is like this has been a, a long process of getting better a little bit each each time. But it's been super fun. Cuz all it is is playing with my kids and we just get better together. So it's been really fun.

[A]

I love that. And what stands out to you as the most challenging or most memorable moment for you on the American Ninja Warrior course?

[B]

Well, hopefully I don't spoil anything for anybody who hasn't seen this season, but certainly the most fun so far has been hitting my qualifier buzzer. This. Having all the hard work for like I said, years and years of training pay off. Like that was very special challenge. I mean there's lots of challenging moments in ninja because you get injured, you have a setback, you have a fall early. Like I've had many early falls in my career if, if anybody's been following my NINJA career. So those are hard. You, you sometimes you're like, well, if I fell early here, maybe I should just give up and throw in the towel. But I'm so glad I didn't because if I did, I, I would never have hit the buzzer this season. So it's just a good, it's a good learning and it applies to work too. Like, you know, we see really, really sick kids and we do our best and sometimes we can't save a child and it's hard. And those days are tough. And you do think about, can I keep doing this? But it's the same thing. You gotta come pick yourself up, try again, and then hopefully the next time you can do some good.

[A]

Absolutely. And now kind of tying this back into your professional life a bit, what would you say the biggest life lesson you've taken away from your experience and how has it impacted the way you approach challenges in your personal and professional life?

[B]

So this is a great question. I, I think with all of this, the, the worry was because, I mean, obviously I'm super busy at work and the worry was if I took time away from that to train, was that going to make me a worse or a better doctor? And I didn't know the answer when I started. And as I've, you know, I've become more and more committed to NINJA over time and that's always something I have to balance, making sure I don't put too much time into NINJA and take away from my professional career. And I, it's been surprising the things I've learned. I think I've learned a lot from the NINJA that has applied back to medicine in interesting ways. So like just with the training, like, because I teach a lot and so I'm learning how to be a better teacher through the NINJA because like I see how I get better as an athlete and it applies so much to like how I can improve my teaching as a physician. Like just for example, like you really have to break things down very micro when you're training. Like you have to. Every hand movement is important. And in the same way I think when you're teaching medicine, the more you can break things down at a micro level, it can really have a big impact. And also when I'm training with one on one, that's far more useful and you get much more feedback when you're doing one on one with the coach or with a student than if you're in a group. So like the more opportunities I've created in the hospital to be a one on one with a student or a learner, like I can get a lot more out of that session because now I see like how much more I can improve that learner. So there's been a lot of interesting ways it's improved my skills as a, as a physician, which I didn't expect. So yeah, it's kind of, kind of cool in a way.

[A]

Absolutely. And now I feel like I already know the answer to this question, but do you see yourself competing again and if you do differently next time so.

[B]

I can break some amazing news. So this Wednesday I got called to compete on season 18, which is the next season. So that's super exciting. Every year is different. So we don't not automatic. Like if you're on one season, you get to come back automatically. They have to, you have to kind of reinvent yourself and let them know, like, hey, this is what's new this year. And you know, this is why I should be on the show again. So I will be coming back so we start filming in September. I compete all the time. I mean, we're competing at all competitions, locally all the time, but the show is, like, the. The most fun thing to do. So we all want to do the show, so that's super exciting. We'll be filming in Las Vegas in September, and then we'll see. We'll see how it goes. And then this season. So it's interesting now that I've hit my. My goal was just to be on the show. Like, literally my goal was just to, like, try this with my daughter. And then, you know, eventually I was like, the kids wanted me to try to be on the show. And so we got on the show, and that was a goal. And then, you know, let's get deep in the chorus, and that's a goal. And then now I hit a buzzer, and that's the goal. So, like, it's. It's. It's a lot easier now because there's really no way I can fail. Right? Like, I've done everything I could ever think to accomplish in this sport, I've done. Because for me, like, I don't think I'm ever going to win the show. That would be amazing. But there are professional people that do this for a living, so I'm not. Unless something crazy happens, I don't know if I'm going to be able to win the show. But so I can really go into the season relaxed, really enjoy it with my family. I'm hoping to bring them and, like, maybe even, you know, just get them really entrenched in the whole experience, because they did. They did that my first season, but they were younger then. I think they'd really enjoy it now. So I'm hoping to involve them some more and just really take it. I mean, I do try and take it in every year, but this year I can really enjoy. No matter how I do, it's going to be fun regardless. So it's kind of an exciting year for me.

[A]

That is exciting. I'll have to tune in for sure. And now you mentioned that this was not an overnight thing. And so I'm curious what advice you would give to evolving leaders maybe looking to have the same drive or impact in their personal and professional careers as you have.

[B]

Exactly. So. So since I teach a lot, so. And since I've started Ninja Warrior, I've kind of folded this into my lectures and. And I tell the learners, like, it's great to have a plan. And I certainly had a plan for my life. I had, like, you know, when I might have kids, and when we. A good time to move and not move, and it's nice to have that structure. But, like, if I held rigidly to that structure my entire life, this ninja warrior experience would have never, ever happened. Like, this was not in the plan. Like, I had no idea that this could even be a thing or that I could ever do this. So I kind of let my kids take me on this journey. And that's kind of a fun lesson, too. Like, it doesn't have to be someone amazing and super talented that leads you on a journey. It can be a child. Like, if you just leave yourself open to new experiences and carve out that time, it's amazing where you can go. It's. It's crazy.

[A]

Excellent advice. And Dr. Bhakka, I have enjoyed our time together. But before I let you go, and while you have the ears of many healthcare professionals across the country, is there anything else that listeners should know?

[B]

I would just say, I mean, obviously, I'm so proud to be a part of this community. I think that we do amazing work, and I. I think sometimes it can feel like. I mean, working through Covid was hard, and I think we're still feeling the effects of that in some ways. And I just want people to know that what we do is important. People do really appreciate what we do. I know it gets confusing and muddled in the media, but it's just so fulfilling. And I hope everyone takes care of themselves and is proud of what they do, and I'm so proud to be part of this team.

[A]

Well, that's a great note to end on. Dr. Bhakta, I want to thank you once again for your time today and for sharing your insights on the Becker's Healthcare podcast. Thank you so much.

[B]

Thanks for having me.