Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Pachtman-Shetty.

Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

I am a practicing Obstetrician and Maternal Fetal Medicine physician, mama to my son Orion, and social media women’s health educator. I grew up in Paradise Valley, Arizona with a mom who worked as an Obstetrician Gynecologist, a dad who is a retired Pediatric Ophthalmologist, and my younger sister and brother. Unfortunately, when I was 11 years old, my mother was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. She had surgery and chemotherapy and we had almost put that chapter behind us when she got sick again when I was almost 16 years old. At that time, my parents moved her to Houston, Texas to be under the care of Oncologists at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. She went through rounds of many aggressive therapies and even was part of a clinical trial, but the cancer took over and she passed away when I was 17 years old.

Growing up in a family of doctors, I was exposed enough to always know that I was interested in medicine. After my freshman year at Arizona State University (I wasn’t really ready to leave home yet), I attended Vanderbilt University and studied Biomedical Engineering. I loved Nashville and had so many awesome opportunities to learn about different career opportunities in medicine. Eventually, I ended up applying to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington, Kentucky (where my parents met and both of their alma maters!) and had an absolutely amazing experience as a medical student there. During my third year rotations, there was no question that OB/GYN was my favorite specialty and my life’s calling. I applied for residency and matched at the North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset, New York. My interview would be the first time I ever visited New York City in my entire life. It was not my first choice for a residency program, but this program ultimately became my home and the place where I will live and practice for the rest of my career. It wasn’t until I met my mentors during my third year of residency that I decided that Maternal Fetal Medicine was perfect for me because I enjoyed the challenge of complex pregnancies and surgeries. I stayed in my same program for my 3-year Fellowship.

After 7 years of post-graduate training, as a junior attending, I started seeing the gaps in the healthcare system that made the experience of seeking and receiving healthcare difficult for women and people who wanted to be or were pregnant. I realized how little people knew about their bodies and health care options. I saw their frustrations and how their birthing experiences and pregnancies weren’t how they had imagined or wanted them to be. During COVID, I made sourdough bread on the weekends and started my Instagram channel @healthymamadoc to meet my patients where they were and help them find evidence-based medical information in the sea of disinformation. @healthymamadoc has grown and become one of my primary focuses, as I love to empower women while on their health journeys and use knowledge to give them back some of their control.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

My path has definitely not been a smooth road! I have struggled with anxiety related to my patient’s outcomes and experiences, struggled with infertility as I met my husband after ending a previous engagement during residency and so was 36 years old by the time we decided to try having children, and have struggled with burnout in the majorly flawed American healthcare system. There have been many times when I wanted to give up but my strong support system and will to continue my mother’s life work kept me going.

I also did not get in to medical school the first time around. I was doing a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering and my grades from Engineering undergrad weren’t all straight As like some of the Biology majors (no hate to Biology majors, that’s a tough road too!). But I knew I wanted to be a doctor and so I thought try, try again.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician and I also have an active delivery practice and deliver babies. I am especially strong on labor and delivery and with cerclage procedures, which sets me apart from the crowd. I also spend the time that my patients need with each and every one, so I am known for having a long wait time in my office, but once it’s your turn, all eyes and attention are on you for as long as you need.

I am most proud of my success as a present mama and working woman. Being a mom is the most difficult job I have ever had, and being able to do that job in conjunction with my career has been one of my biggest struggles and source of pride.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?

I was a nerdy, quiet kid! I had lots of friends and went to a small private school in Phoenix, Arizona for 13 years, but wasn’t really athletic until high school and wasn’t one of the kids who was “cool” or invited to all of the parties. I had some interesting hobbies that I did with my dad, for example, I used to raise and breed African Cichlids (a breed of fish) and at one point, had more than 7 fish tanks! My family was hit hard by my mother’s illness as she was the center of our universe and so I struggled a lot with anxiety and depression when I was in high school. My father’s parents, my Maman and Poppy, were a huge part of my life and helped raise me and my brother and sister when my parents were working and when they moved to Houston.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthymamadoc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569378609872#

Image Credits

Photographer Katie Ward Photography