Her Story
About Kanika
I come from Mumbai, India where I started medical school right after high school at age 18 and knew I wanted to be a psychiatrist due to the stigma around mental health. I completed medical school at KEM Hospital from 2012 to 2018, then moved to the US for residency in general psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn from 2019 to 2022 during the pandemic. I then did my child psychiatry fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis from 2022 to 2024. Now I work in a group practice seeing patients from young children to adults, focusing on medication management while collaborating with therapists and case managers.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kanika
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be brave and don't listen to people's assumptions from the outside. It's a very rewarding field where you see differences in patients' lives daily. Women have a nurturing characteristic that is very much required in child psychiatry for this vulnerable population.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include low funding for neurodevelopmental issues like autism in Missouri making specialized therapies hard to access. Opportunities include interventional psychiatry like TMS and esketamine, and the growing need for child psychiatrists post-pandemic with roles in schools and consultations.
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