Manteca’s Dr. Amarjit Dhaliwal has been recognized by the Stanislaus Medical Society as its oncology Doctor of the Year after 24 years of “compassionate care” in that county.

The award was presented at a recent dinner in Modesto attended by many of his peers from the medical community including Doctors Hospital of Manteca’s CEO Nicholas Tejeda and Dhaliwal’s radiation oncologist,  Dr. Darwin Yip, M.D.

Patients are treated for about two hours while visiting the Manteca outpatient facility compared to a sometimes longer stay if needed to be hospitalized for their conditions.

More than 20 patients a day are treated at his Valley Cancer Center on Norman Drive. They are battling a variety of cancers including lung cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, prostate cancer and other life-threatening ailments.  The multi-million dollar center is located just west of Spreckels Avenue and south of Yosemite Avenue where it opened its doors in July of 2013.

Dhaliwal is a regular member of the DHM staff and can be seen walking the halls to visit his patients in the facility.  He was raised in India, making the personal decision to become a doctor while on a state medical school field trip where he remembers being impressed by the white lab coats being worn by doctors and students. Dhaliwal earned his medical degree at Government Medical College in Punjab Province followed by receiving a fellowship in cancer treatment at the Medical College of Wisconsin followed by internal medicine training at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

Development of the Valley Cancer Medical Group in Modesto came as a joint project in 1992 with oncologist Dr. Robert Levy.  Dhaliwal actually came to the valley two dozen years ago with the specific purpose of providing compassionate care, and utilizing state-of-the-art technology for cancer treatments.

He is currently the president and CEO of the 32,000-square-foot Valley Cancer in Manteca where — along with Levy and radiation technologist Yip — provides patients access to both radiation and other up-to-date oncology treatments.

Dhaliwal and his wife Rupinder – credited with being instrumental in the construction process – were actually the contractors for the cancer center.  She directed the needed subcontractors throughout the building process.   The site in Manteca is surrounded by numerous doctors’ offices, a blood lab and Imaging Center operated by Doctors Hospital of Manteca. 

Dhaliwal has served as the president of the Stanislaus Medical Society in 2012 and 2013 and presently serves as a director on the Physician Services Board.  Last year he was a member of the Electoral College – a doctor who is politically active and engaging, specifically regarding issues that affect the medical field.  His peers note that his voice brings both breadth and depth of knowledge to every conversation with colleagues and government leaders.

The Dhaliwals have two daughters who are currently pursuing careers in the medical field,  hoping to have M.D. degrees in the future.  Jasmeet has attended the same medical school as her father and plans to serve her internship in the Central Valley.  Another daughter, Harleen, is a graduate of U.C. Irvine and also has plans to attend medical school.  The couples’ oldest son, Treet, is a graduate of U.C. Berkley where he majored in Economics with their youngest son now a student at Central Catholic High School in Modesto.