Her Story
About Sri Smitha
Sri Smitha Kanaparthy is a pediatric anesthesiologist with 31 years of experience in medicine, including 13 years as a practicing attending physician. She began her medical education and anesthesiology training in India, later pursuing further residency training in Philadelphia and completing a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology in Oklahoma City. This foundation prepared her for a career centered on the safe, compassionate care of children, along with a strong commitment to teaching the next generation of physicians.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Kanaparthy has held academic faculty positions at institutions including the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Yale University, where she trained residents and fellows in anesthesiology. Her dedication to education has been recognized through repeated selection as a teaching attending and strong recommendations from the residents she has mentored. She currently serves as regional lead for Bay Area Mobile, overseeing office-based pediatric dental anesthesia services in the Fresno area, while also working as a contracted physician at Valley Children's Hospital. To complement her clinical expertise, she earned an MBA from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, along with additional certifications in leadership, healthcare management, and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Kanaparthy is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Society of Pediatric Anesthesiologists. She views medicine as both a science and an art, believing that this perspective allows for continual growth and discovery within her field. Guided by the values of hard work, integrity, and professionalism, she remains passionate about mentoring young women in medicine and encouraging them to embrace the leadership opportunities the profession offers.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sri Smitha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the discipline I've maintained throughout my career, along with a constant sense of curiosity. I've always been eager to pursue new ideas, stay open-minded, and push myself forward, drawing inspiration from many different sources along the way.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to approach my career not just as a science, but as a form of art. If it were only a science, you'd read it cover to cover and be finished. But when you practice it as an art, there's something new to discover every single day.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage women to pursue medicine, as it's an incredibly valuable and consistently rewarding career with abundant opportunities for growth and leadership.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The healthcare system and landscape today are incredibly complex, with many built-in errors and challenges. Navigating this complexity is difficult, and it takes a great deal out of you, both as an individual and as a professional.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Hard work, integrity, and professionalism are the values that matter most to me, both in my work and in my personal life.
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