Vikas Gupta, MD, a pediatric surgeon at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, was honored with a Summer 2026 Credo Award. (Photo by Erin O. Smith)
Near the end of his two-year surgical fellowship at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vikas Gupta, MD, walked into a faculty meeting led by his department chair expecting an exit interview.
What happened next floored him.
He learned he had been selected as a Summer 2026 Vanderbilt Health Credo Award recipient, an honor recognizing those who demonstrate exceptional Credo behaviors.
“I truly couldn’t believe it. It was not on my radar at all. I sort of thought about American Idol when they vote through someone who can’t really sing,” he said with a laugh.
But Gupta’s nomination form says otherwise, praising his exceptional attitude, dedication to work, interaction with all staff, and close attention to teaching residents.
“He is consistently in good spirits, dedicated to his work, and has always made an effort to maintain his kindness with colleagues,” reads the form. “I don’t think it would be an overstatement in saying that just about everyone who works at Monroe Carell knows him and knows that he is reliable and earnest.
“As a resident, it can be intimidating to reach out to fellows or those in more senior positions, but his warmth and approachability make us feel that we are not looked down upon or belittled.
“I’m not quite sure how Vik manages to be so calm yet uplifting in all of his many, many hours spent at work. His actions and words fully live up to the Credo.”
Gupta reflected on advice his mother always shared with him and his brother: “It doesn’t matter what you do; do it with a full heart and do your best.”
He said those words stuck with him.
That advice is part of the reason he explored several career paths in college. He landed on medicine after a heart-to-heart discussion with his pediatrician.
“He told me that being a doctor is not about math and science,” recalled Gupta. “The day-to-day of being a doctor is about communicating with patients, families and teammates. He encouraged me that, if I could get through the required classes, I would be fine.”
And he has excelled.
After 10 years of training to be a pediatric surgeon, Gupta joined the surgical faculty at Monroe Carell on Aug. 1. He is also completing an additional year of fellowship training in Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine in his pursuit of caring for the most critically ill patients.
Jeffrey Upperman, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Pediatric Surgery for Monroe Carell, said Gupta “embodies each of the six Credo tenets in a way that is rare at any career stage.”
“He truly cares about the patients, the families, and the teams he wakes up every day to serve,” Upperman said. “He returns on off-hours to check on patients and makes sure the plan is the right one. His bearing with staff, families and colleagues is consistently respectful and grounded. He models these behaviors in every floor interaction. He greets, listens and invites the team’s concerns before sharing his own thinking, and he treats the nursing and floor teams as full partners in patient care, not as a service line.”
View Vikas Gupta’s Credo Award video.
If you are a VUMC employee, you can nominate a colleague for a Credo Award, C. Wright Pinson Leader Award, or Vanderbilt Health Team Award. Visit the Leadership Forum website to fill out a nomination form. Employees demonstrate credo behaviors when: They make those they serve the highest priority; respect privacy and confidentiality; communicate effectively; conduct themselves professionally; have a sense of ownership; and are committed to their colleagues. Elevate award nominations are accepted year-round. If a nomination is received after the cutoff for an award selection period, the nomination will be considered for the next period. VUMC VOICE will post stories on each of the award winners in the weeks following their announcement.
