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

Kavitha Ranganathan, M.D.

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.

Tina Palmieri, M.D.

What inspired you to become a physician, and what drew you to your specialty?

I became a physician because I wanted to help make a positive difference in people’s lives. Being a burn physician enables me to do just that. Burn injury often changes a person’s life. As a burn surgeon, I have the privilege of working together with my patients to envision what they want and can become and then help them get there.

What keeps you motivated in your work today?

My motivation stems from our burn team, which consists of physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, case workers, dieticians, psychologists and a whole host of other people all working together to help people not just survive but thrive after a burn injury.

What’s your favorite part of being a physician?

I get to lead the best medical team in the hospital: the burn team.

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

Find the career that speaks to you. If you enjoy what you do, you will not only be better at it, but you will be happier.

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

Two moments really meant a lot. The first was when a 4-year-old child who had sustained a severe burn came back to the clinic, ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. The second was when a girl with a severe burn came back for a visit years later, smiling, with her baby in her arms. She not only survived the burn ,but had a happy and meaningful life. There is no better reward than seeing your patients succeed.

Did you have a mentor or role model who influenced your path?

I have had many mentors throughout the years, each of whom made a difference in my life. In surgery residency, one of my mentors gave me sage advice, “To be a good physician, you need to work hard, be honest and put the patient first. The rest will fall into place.” He was right.

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

When I started in burns, there were not many women doing surgery, let alone burn surgery. Conflict was inevitable. How you choose to address conflict is what ultimately determines the outcome. My challenges taught me to develop a collaborative approach to medicine, problem-solving and conflict resolution. My approach is to listen to others and develop a win-win plan whenever possible, but always stand up for your core values.

Shubhra Mukherjee, M.D., FRCPC

What inspired you to become a physician, and what drew you to your specialty?

I always was interested in working with children and was drawn to work that would alleviate suffering. I learned about pediatric rehab medicine when doing a summer research study about new polio cases in villages in India as a visiting medical student. When I returned to Canada, I sought out more information about the field of pediatric rehab medicine and loved everything about it. I enjoyed the mix of neurology and orthopedics and the focus on function. I love seeing children live their lives to the max!

What keeps you motivated in your work today?

Working with patients and families on difficult problems and working towards a solution to complex issues. It truly takes a village to help the kinds of kids we see at Shriners Children’s.

What’s your favorite part of being a physician?

The team works with the patients, families and other health professionals. Solving complicated issues with a fantastic team is so rewarding! We have so many people with years of experience here.

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

Do it if you truly love it. The systems of health care are under much strain, which causes frustration. It’s worth it if you are able to help people.

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

I’m always excited to meet people who are trying to do this kind of work: premed students, med students, residents and fellows. Working with the next generation and teaching them something they will carry with them is meaningful. It’s a way to pay forward the lessons from my mentors.

Did you have a mentor or role model who influenced your path?

I’ve had so many! People who helped me learn my field and demonstrated breadth and depth of ability, like Dr. Joe Watt from Edmonton and Dr. Deb Gaebler from Chicago. They are why I’m in Chicago and at Shriners Children’s. Others who were politically active and advocated for improvements. My colleagues also inspire me daily.

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

Balancing work and family life is a challenge that affects women especially. Having very supportive people around me at home and at work has allowed me to find the right balance and be able to be effective and present. I do try to support people around me to find the right balance also. Family life and supports outside of work can help us be our best at work and allow us to contribute to the community in other ways.

Sarah Nossov, M.D.

What inspired you to become a physician, and what drew you to your specialty?

When I was an undergrad, I was a seamstress and also an artist. At the time, I wanted to do the Appalachian Trail. But I'm like, “Oh man, I should take a wilderness first responder course just in case something goes wrong.” So I did. Then I’m like, “Hey, I'm going to forget what I'm doing if I don't join my local ambulance.” I joined my local ambulance the week of 9/11. And I lived in New York at the time. So I was really influenced by what was going on and how people were helping, and it made me wonder about what I wanted to do to help people in times of trouble. I went to med school thinking I would go into emergency medicine, but I really enjoyed the three-dimensionality of orthopedics and the reconstructive aspect. It really suited my mind since it was already trained to see things artistically.

What keeps you motivated in your work today?

Some of it is seeing the improvement in my technical skills by taking on challenging cases and having the grit to go into things that haven't really been done before. It’s exciting for me. But, also, the results – I can’t believe them sometimes. The changes you can make by just making a leg straighter. I'm motivated to see kids that were unable to walk before now walk. And to see them so excited.

What’s your favorite part of being a physician?

I just love interacting with the kids. I really enjoy that I chose pediatrics. Even though the clinic can be a slog and difficult and there's a lot of complicated things going on, interacting with children and trying to make it okay for them is my favorite part. And my favorite part of being a Shriners physician is when I get to tell them not to worry about how much it costs. I almost break down and cry every time I get to say that.

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

I think they should be reassured that they're capable of any job out there, and, even if you don't see somebody who's doing the thing that you're doing, you can still do it. But, sometimes, it helps to find a role model. For some subspecialties, like orthopedics, it can be a little bit more challenging because the number of women in orthopedics is kind of the lowest amount. I think being vocal about what you need to succeed can be very rewarding, too.

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

There was this little girl who had never walked before. She was only 3, and she was starting to walk, and she was very resistant at first. And she was crying, crying, crying. Then I stood her up and made her start to take steps. She goes, and she was just yelling, “I'm a walking girl now! I'm a walking girl!” And it just broke my heart. I'm like, “This is worth all her screaming!”

Did you have a mentor or role model who influenced your path?

I've had a couple. One of my role models in fellowship training was Rich Davidson, who has been in practice for over 40 years and has been working at Shriners Children's for many decades. He comes here just once a month now, but he was one of my teachers in my fellowship, and it's really cool that I get to operate with him once a month here. He's been very supportive. And Fran Farley [soon-to-retire chief medical officer of Shriners Children’s] was one of my attendings when I was at the University of Michigan. She was influential and very supportive as a woman who had achieved success. She and Michelle Sugiyama Caird, who now has her position [chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery at Michigan Medicine] supported me. They even, I think, paid for me to go to a conference once so that I could get a leg up.

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

I think women sometimes just see things differently and deal with conflict a little differently. And when you're surrounded by a group of men you have to learn a different way of communicating. So I think I’ve maybe become a better communicator. Or maybe I’m more confident in the things that I can do despite being a different gender than most of the other individuals I’m surrounded by.