Celebrating Four Shriners Children’s Doctors for National Women Physicians Day

Why did you decide to pursue a career at Shriner Children's?

Having a career at Shriner's Children's was one of my dream goals. I've always identified with the idea of providing medical care at the highest quality possible, regardless of families' ability to pay, in a way that makes care affordable for patients, and that is exactly what the Shriners Children's mission is.Being at Shriners Children's and providing cleft and craniofacial care is a dream come true for me.

What inspired you to become a physician, and what drew you to craniofacial care?

I always knew that I wanted to be a physician. Ever since I was 2 years old, I used to go to the hospital with my dad, who was a neurologist, and I saw the impact that you can have as a physician focused on alleviating suffering. And so that had me hooked from a young age. I never thought I wanted to be a surgeon. I wanted to be a pediatrician.

But when I was in India, my grandmother passed away from burns, and I took care of her during that time. And then after that, I spent some time with my uncle in India, who is a pediatric plastic surgeon, and seeing the instant gratification of what it means to see a cleft lip being repaired and what that means for that child; there was no going back after that. So that's what ultimately brought me to plastic surgery, given my experience with burns and my grandmother, and then pediatric plastic surgery, seeing what it means to repair a cleft lip.

What keeps you motivated every day?

The pursuit of perfection keeps me motivated. Whenever I'm operating on any of these children, I see my own child in front of me, and I try to approach each child with that same level of care that I would want for my own child. But, even beyond that, I am obsessed with trying to achieve a perfect outcome in my pediatric patients that I'm taking care of. And so that is honestly what keeps me up at night and what keeps me going, no matter day or night.

What advice would you give to other young women who are considering a career in medicine?

My biggest piece of advice for other women interested in the field is that people may tell you that you don't look like a surgeon. People may tell you you're not meant to be a surgeon. People may tell you you're too nice to be a surgeon, and, at the end of the day, you can choose whether those comments fuel you or break you down. So, if the goal that you have your mind set on is something that you really hope to achieve, figure out a way to filter out the noise and let all of those moments of doubt fuel your success.

What moment in your career has been especially meaningful for you?

I think a moment that feels especially meaningful is when I'm able to see my mentees succeed. I think that I've always been someone who wants to pay it forward, but I never thought the day would come when I would be in such a role to be a role model for someone else. And, finally, being in a position where I'm able to help people achieve their own goals, that has been a really powerful moment for me.

You mentioned your family members as being some of your role models. How have they influenced you along your path?

I certainly stand on the shoulders of giants, with my parents and my family being the most critical part of that. My parents taught me at a young age the importance of giving back to your community. My dad used to give his patients grocery cards and things like that, and I do the same for my patients now. So, their level of service has been really important and really the foundation on which I grew up.

Now, for me to be able to do what I do, my husband and daughter are critical parts of that, and I'm very grateful that I have their support because, without it, I definitely couldn't do anything that I'm doing today.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in medicine, and how have they shaped who you are today?

I think one of the biggest challenges that I've faced is related to what it means to fit in. What I've realized over time is that I will never fit in, but that's okay. Maybe not fitting in is my superpower. You know, I've always been told I'm too nice, and then I'm told I'm too intense, and then I'm told I'm too young, and then I'm told I'm too old. So, the list of being too much of something and not enough of another continues even today. I think that not fitting in was initially one of the greatest challenges that I faced.

What I see now is that not fitting in is my superpower, because it helps me identify with what my patients are experiencing, what other mothers are experiencing, what fathers are experiencing. I think that. when you are different, you are attuned to a completely different set of values and experiences. Now, being a misfit is probably one of the greatest compliments that I could give myself.