Her Story
About Shveta
I'm an Indian American foreign medical graduate who came to this country in 2009 after completing medical school at one of the most elite medical schools in India. I did my pediatric residency, then my pediatric hematology oncology fellowship, followed by transfusion medicine fellowship, and had my child during that time before becoming a practicing physician. I've been practicing as a pediatric hematologist oncologist in Orlando for over 10 years and became the director of hematology. I'm a big supporter of women's health, particularly focusing on heavy menstrual bleeding, and I've been lovingly nicknamed 'the Period Doctor.' A lot of my work has been put into creating awareness for women who are having heavy menstrual bleeding but do not seek attention, with the goal that no woman should suffer in silence. I wanted to keep growing and see the other side of the healthcare ecosystem, so I started and completed my Executive MBA from the University of Florida two years ago. I also contributed to research infrastructure through global medical affairs and clinical development through pharmaceuticals, finding a seat at tables that are not very open to Indian women physicians. I turned 40 during this time and realized I need to contribute more to this world. I started my company called Vediac (V-E-D-A-I-C), which trains physicians to structure their clinical expertise so they can contribute to the health tech world and to products that reach our patients. I'm also writing a book currently called 'The Second Apprenticeship' about physicians who are in medicine but don't feel like the medicine around them is the same anymore, or are thinking of transitioning, and how they work through their identities. I was 17 when I started medical school - what did I know about who I could be? I feel like a lot of physicians don't get a chance to introspect that they can have a lot more selves than just active clinical practice. My goal is to help as many people as I can, especially high-performing women individuals and professionals, because when we talk about midlife empowerment or midlife awakening, it looks very different in high-functioning individuals who've never had permission to think they can actually be someone else. I'm working towards something called a modern Chief Medical Officer, which requires learning new skills that weren't needed even five years ago to set the healthcare ecosystem up for success. I write two newsletters - one called The Pragmatic Physician and another called The Second Apprenticeship. I still have active clinical practice two days a week, and the rest of my time is meetings, networking, and focusing on growth in a very variable schedule that I love.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shveta
01What do you attribute your success to?
My mom is one of the most important people in my life, and I would say that she has played a huge role in shaping who I am today. The will to go on, hard work, and not putting your comfort before other things has helped tremendously. I've been married for a very long time - I got married when I was very young - and my husband has been my rock-solid person through everything. He's a physician too, and we both supported each other for everything. I can't imagine my life without him.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was during my clinical practice, and it came over breakfast from a mentor. They told me that whenever you're making a decision, there will be multiple paths in front of you. Always choose the path that does the best for the patient, even if that's long, difficult, and at that time doesn't seem the right thing to do. Always choose the path that does the best for the patient, and there is no tomorrow. I still remember getting that advice, and I've lived my life with that philosophy.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Do not doubt yourself. Be confident - you got this, you know what you're doing. I think young women tend to have imposter syndrome a lot, and that's one thing that I have lived through it, struggled through it, and I will just say, don't doubt yourself, believe in yourself, and have a strong voice for yourself.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Healthcare is undergoing disruptive innovation right now. The biggest opportunity and challenge at the same time is how fast can you move with the field. If you move too slow, you're going to be left behind, and there might not be a place for you. So it's really important right now in healthcare to really keep up with the changes that are ongoing and happening. That's the biggest opportunity, but also a challenge, because change is hard. The reimbursement models are changing, and what a physician signed up for 10 years ago is not what they're getting today. I'm already mid-career, and I have already seen those changes. I didn't sign up for this either. The ones who are just coming into the field are realizing that somebody told them 10 years ago that if they put their 20s away and just work, they'll be okay - that they'll be entering a world where they'll have more independence, make money, and be able to afford anything. But medicine is not the same that it was 10 years ago, or when that implicit contract got made. There's so much inflation going on, but physicians haven't had salary raises. It's very confusing right now, and it's very hard to know what is my role, what is my job, what is my identity, who am I supposed to be, what am I supposed to do, how can I be useful, how am I contributing, and what am I gaining. Right now, I feel like there's not very many answers because everybody's just trying to stay alive and just function in some way, one shape or form or the other.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think the most important value for me is integrity. Say what you mean, and mean what you say, and accountability. I think to be able to carry on what you've said - I think I mean the same thing - but integrity and accountability to me are very, very important values, both personally and professionally.
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