To mark National Women Physicians Day on February 3, Shriners Children’s highlighted the experiences of four female doctors who have contributed to the organization and to medicine. The day commemorates Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree, whose efforts helped open doors for women in a previously male-dominated field.
Kavitha Ranganathan, M.D., described her motivation for joining Shriners 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 or insurance status, 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.”
Dr. Ranganathan spoke about her early interest in medicine and how personal experiences influenced her choice of specialty. She said, “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… But when I was in India, my grandmother passed away from burns… seeing the instant gratification of what it means to see a cleft lip being repaired… there was no going back after that.” She also emphasized striving for excellence: “The pursuit of perfection keeps me motivated… I am obsessed with trying to achieve a perfect outcome in my pediatric patients.”
Her advice for young women entering medicine is: “People may tell you that you don’t look like a surgeon… 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.” Dr. Ranganathan also reflected on mentorship: “A moment that feels especially meaningful is when I’m able to see my mentees succeed.”
Tina Palmieri, M.D., explained why she became a burn surgeon: “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.” She noted her team as an ongoing source of motivation: “My motivation stems from our burn team… all working together to help people not just survive but thrive after a burn injury.” Dr. Palmieri recounted memorable moments involving patient recovery and credited mentors with shaping her values: “‘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.”
She discussed challenges faced as one of few women in surgery early in her career: “When I started in burns, there were not many women doing surgery… Conflict was inevitable. How you choose to address conflict is what ultimately determines the outcome.”
Shubhra Mukherjee, M.D., FRCPC shared how exposure during medical training led her toward pediatric rehabilitation medicine: “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.” Dr. Mukherjee enjoys teamwork within Shriners Children’s: “Solving complicated issues with a fantastic team is so rewarding! We have so many people with years of experience here.” She noted balancing family life as an ongoing challenge but credited support networks both at home and work.
Sarah Nossov, M.D., discussed her path from art and seamstress work toward orthopedics after volunteering as an EMT during college near New York City around September 11th events. She said orthopedic surgery appealed due its creative aspects and impact on children’s mobility: “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.” Dr. Nossov highlighted mentorship from colleagues at Shriners Children’s and Michigan Medicine.
She addressed gender disparities within orthopedics: “For some subspecialties… it can be more challenging because the number of women … is kind of the lowest amount,” advising persistence despite these barriers.
Shriners Children’s recognizes these physicians’ achievements while noting broader trends—such as increased diversity—in U.S. healthcare professions over recent decades.
