B. D. Chaurasia

Bhagwan Din Chaurasia (1937 – 1985) was an Indian anatomist, medical educator and writer for medical education. He is best known for his widely acclaimed textbook, Human Anatomy, which remains a popular anatomy resource for medical students in India and abroad.

Early life and education Bhagwan Din Chaurasia was born on 1 October 1937 in Barigarh, a town now in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, India. He was raised in the farming family of Ramadin and Radharani Chaurasia. In 1954 he completed his early education from Ewing Christian College, Allahabad. He gained his MBBS from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College, Indore, in 1960, and five years later obtained a Master of Surgery (M. S.) in anatomy from the same college. In 1975 he completed his Ph.D. from Jiwaji University, Gwalior.

Career Chaurasia started his teaching career as a demonstrator in the department of anatomy at MGM Medical College, Indore. He worked there for three years followed by a two-year stint as a lecturer in anatomy at the Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Bhopal. In 1968, he joined the Gajara Raja Medical College (GRMC), Gwalior, as a Reader in Anatomy, and worked there until his death. He dedicated the book to his teacher Uma Shankar Nagayach. It quickly became an essential resource for medical students. The first edition was reprinted annually until 1988. The second edition was published in 1989 with five reprints till 1994. The eighth edition was published in 2020.

Recognition Chaurasia was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS) in 1982 and was posthumously awarded the Dr. Kailash Nath Katju Award of Science by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. His birthday, 1 October, is celebrated as Medical Teacher's Day in Madhya Pradesh.

Selected publications Articles (Co-author)

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Books