One of the most impactful experiences for Dr. Shivani Raman was the work she did in Chiapas, Mexico, volunteering with Partners in Health. She assisted patients in rural areas with a variety of medical issues, a humanitarian effort that opened her eyes to the vast need for public health work.

Shivani Raman, M.D.

What this award means: To me, this award serves as recognition of my dedication to addressing public health challenges that impact underserved populations through service, leadership, advocacy, and research.

Mentor comment: Shivani Raman has demonstrated an amazing passion and commitment for community and public health and has focused her community-based research experiences and service on caring for the underserved. She is very personable, professional, and warm. – Nora Gimpel, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Vice Chair for Community Health

Background and family: I was born and raised in Houston. My grandparents are emigrants from India who instilled in me the values of hard work and dedication. My mother is a nurse who exposed me to the health care field and showed me both the joys and challenges of caring for patients. My father is an architect and freelance artist who taught me how to harness my creativity and live each day with a sense of adventure.

What led to your career path: I have always had an inherent sense of empathy toward humanity, feeling deeply impacted by the systemic and structural inequities that prevail in society. One of my most impactful experiences was volunteering in Chiapas, Mexico, for the nonprofit, Partners in Health. I supported teams of community health workers in four rural communities to optimize home visits and continuity of care for patients with a broad range of health issues, including mental health conditions. In psychiatry, I discovered not only ample opportunities for impactful public health work, but also a space to forge meaningful therapeutic alliances with patients to drive enduring behavioral changes. My ultimate goals in psychiatry are to provide care for underserved populations with severe and persistent mental illness, spearhead public health interventions, and advocate for health equity and social justice.

College: I attended Rice University, where I majored in sociology, minored in poverty, justice, and human capabilities, and earned a certificate in Spanish. I studied abroad in Chile through a program focused on public health, traditional medicine, and community empowerment; conducted research in Peru on the double burden of noncommunicable diseases and neglected tropical diseases in marginalized rural communities; and researched post-discharge care in patients with heart failure through the Health, Humanism, and Society Scholars program. I received the Beth Shapiro Prize, awarded to a sociology major whose character and contributions made a special impact on the department.

UTSW activities: As an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, I designed and implemented a blood pressure monitoring program at a free clinic. I also participated in several research studies, served as a student liaison for the Healthcare in Underserved Communities elective, participated in the Community Action Research Track, and pursued a Distinction in Community Health.

Surprising fact: I have always been an avid writer, since it serves as an avenue to channel my creativity, reflect on my experiences, and share my thoughts with the world.

Future plans: I am very excited to begin residency in psychiatry at UT Southwestern as part of the Rural and Public Mental Health Track. My interests are in community psychiatry, cultural psychiatry, and global mental health. My goal is to continue impacting underserved individuals, communities, and populations on both a local and global scale through patient care, public health initiatives, advocacy, and research.

About the award: Administered by the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee, the Excellence in Public Health Award recognizes medical students who have positively impacted public health in their communities.