Dr. Soha Patel: National Women's History Month Spotlight

by Melanie Griffin March 20, 2020

Now, more than ever, we need to come together in support of each other, especially our medical community. So, in honor of National Women's History Month and heroes who don’t wear capes, we’re honored to spotlight Dr. Soha Patel.

Dr. Patel is an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University’s Division of Maternal & Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. She is also a physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Some of Soha’s many duties are to see patients, perform vaginal and cesarean deliveries, and perform fetal surgeries. She teaches clinical fellows, medical students, and resident physicians. She believes that any field in medicine requires a lifelong commitment to learning, as well as teaching the future generation.

Soha’s focus is on high risk maternal and high risk fetal pregnancies. She takes care of the mother and child throughout the pregnancy, postpartum, and through subsequent pregnancies. She was drawn to her field because she knew she wanted a challenging experience when it came to her work. This was a field that would continue to challenge her throughout her career because many cases are complex in nature. She also knew that she wanted to make a difference when it came to her work and helping women and babies.

Soha is the first to tell you that she has benefited tremendously from strong female role models who have influenced her life. Her mother—the first woman in her family to graduate high school and college—is a nurse. Growing up listening to her mother’s stories about work is one of the reasons Soha knew that she wanted to go to medical school from a very young age. She is also surrounded by strong women at her job, since every part of obstetrics is filled with a majority of women as coworkers and patients, all connected by a common goal of keeping women safe during their pregnancy and beyond.

Soha also supports and empowers women outside of medicine. For a friend’s fortieth birthday celebration in September 2019, Soha and her friends hiked Mount Kilimanjaro. They were purposely assisted by Bless Africa, a company started by the first female porter on the mountain who employs women who perform this labor-intensive job as a sacrifice to support their families.

For all of these reasons and so many more, we couldn’t let Women’s History Month pass without inspiring the Spread Your Sunshine community by sharing Soha’s story. Please keep her, and the rest of our country’s healthcare professionals, in your thoughts and prayers over the long weeks to come.