Dr. Punitha Shivaprasad

 

Dr. Punitha Shivaprasad is a final year Resident Physician, in the Department of Internal Medicine, at Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. She was just selected to pursue Fellowship in Gastroenterology, which is generally accepted as one of the most difficult Sub-specialties to achieve. For her, this is the culmination of a lifelong dream.

 

Dr. Punitha was born and raised in Bangalore, India and moved with her parents to Phoenix, AZ at the age of ten years. It was her childhood dream to become a physician. At the age of eighteen years she had an arranged marriage. The young couple promised each other that they would be equal to each other in all respects. As her husband pursued his medical career and eventually became a Gastroenterologist, her goals had to take a back seat.

 

Meanwhile, as they had three children, Punitha’s dream had become a mirage. Though, she could still feel it in her heart. Her family supported her wholeheartedly, but the pre-med counselor told her bluntly that she was chasing an unrealistic dream.

 

She refused to give up and against all odds, she joined the University of New England Osteopathic School of Medicine which is located 400 miles from her home in NJ. Despite the vigorous demands of medical school, she would fly back every weekend to spend quality time with her family.

 

Naysayer were plenty as she was applying for a Gastroenterology Fellowship. “It is impossible to get into Gastroenterology”, they told her. This only increased her determination. After years of preparation that promise of being “equal” is finally becoming a reality.

 

Dr. Punitha’s message to the Women of AKKA is: “No matter what the challenges are and no matter how difficult the task might appear to be, if you set your mind to it and work hard towards it, you can do anything.