Dr. Pablo Bukata was born in Argentina. His family moved to the United States when he was two years old. He grew up in Illinois, then came to Lake County, Indiana, around the time he was six. He went to high school nearby but left the Region to attend Wabash College as a chemistry major in Crawfordsville.
Medical school for Bukata was done in Indianapolis at the Indiana University School of Medicine. After graduating, he began a residency at Riley Children’s Hospital in the same city. He came back to Valparaiso in 1999, and he’s been practicing as a general pediatrician since, his place of work Associated Pediatricians.
Bukata’s had an interest in science his whole life. His father was a doctor, and so was his grandfather. His family ties aren’t the only motivators for why he’s drawn to medicine. One experience he had as a teenager inspired the choices he’s made along his career path, and another during medical school altered his views on which patients he’d feel most adept at treating.
“Being a doctor was always on the radar. As far as pediatrics goes, there were two things that locked me into that,” he said. “One happened while I was working at a summer camp for four-to-seven-year-olds. A kid got hurt once, and I remember feeling helpless, starting to understand that having medical knowledge would be a good thing. The second thing was my family-practice rotations. They showed me how much I enjoy seeing younger patients.”
Having been operating out of Valparaiso for 25 years, Bukata’s seen kids grow, which is his favorite part of the job. He’s been seeing some of his patients since they were babies, and now they’ve grown old enough to be in high school. For others, some are already second-generation, actual children of patients he once had.
“It’s very rewarding to see progress. I like to see the kids and stay up to date with them and what their favorite sports, people, and TV shows are,” he said. “I do like to have fun and tell jokes in the office, so those are usually good days.”
Bukata experienced changes in the medical landscapes in his industry. More nuances add on to the complexities of the field, what with scrutinizing insurance companies, bureaucracy complications in general, and the difficulties of managing electronic medical records. Those types of shifts in how things are done have switched up his day-to-day routines over the years, but he’s made adjustments when necessary, relinquishing stagnation and cooperating with the differences in how matters move along.
At the end of the day, well-maintained health to Bukata is essential for the betterment of all beings. In his role. Considering the population he serves, he’s constantly ensuring and maintaining kids’ positive outlooks on their well-being.
“Health is the most important thing. If you’re not healthy, you can’t work, you can’t learn, you can’t enjoy life, and you can’t interact with people,“ he said. ‘Health’ is a huge word, so I try to promote it among children so that they can grow and become adults.”
Bukata is big into soccer. He played as both a high-school and college student himself, and he does today, too. Enjoying emails and providing updates, he runs the website for his league; he’ll send out into members’ inboxes every two weeks newsletters regarding the latest developments in the game locally and far away. He reaches 300 people in the area.
Bukata has not only played in games, but also has helped out as a healthcare professional for them, no matter what injuries might have occurred. A patient once even recognized him for his soccer business before realizing what he really does for a living, scheduling a consultation with him, not a medical appointment.
All three of Bukata’s children have grown into adults. One’s in college currently, while the other two are at stages beyond. They often get together as family, spending lots of time with one another. They spent this year’s Thanksgiving gaming with their own version of Jeopardy!.
Bukata has resided and worked in Valparaiso for a fourth of a century at this point. He appreciates its schools and public departments, as well as its cleanliness, openness, and niceness.
“I like Valpo a lot. The people are great. I like the infrastructure and the parks. The town’s run very well, and there are a lot of things to do,” he said.