Alumni credit mom as inspiration for becoming doctors

Desai sisters talking at their mom's practicePooja and Poorvi Desai may have worked their way through years’ worth of school to become successful doctors, but their biggest source of inspiration came from one person: their mom.

Pratibha Desai, who started Comprehensive Hematology/Oncology, her private practice, when the girls were little, says she didn’t just choose to tell her daughters they were capable of anything, she wanted to show them.

And she kept her word.

“I think the girls saw it was a juggling act between raising them and running the practice, but that I still enjoyed it,” Desai said. “And I think they decided to become physicians because of it.”

Pooja graduated in 2007 from St. Petersburg High School’s IB program, while Poorvi, followed in her sister’s footsteps two years later. The sisters recall a challenging yet balanced high school experience, and one that set them up for success down the road.

“I think the teachers really molded us in terms of our independent thinking and our goal setting,” Pooja said. “Overall, it really did prepare us for college and the outside world.”

Unlike Pooja, who knew she wanted to work in pediatrics at a very young age, Poorvi was relatively undecided on her career path until she was accepted into a combined B.A./M.D. program at the University of Missouri Kansas City. She finished both degrees in a rigorous six years and immediately came home to join her mom’s already-successful practice.

“We grew up with the notion that anyone can do anything and if you’re passionate about something you shouldn’t hold yourself back,” Poorvi said. “As soon as I got into medical school, I realized this is what I’ve worked for.”

Once she graduated from St. Pete High, Pooja began her college career in upstate New York but ultimately graduated from the University of South Florida with her degree in biology. She attended medical school at the Medical University of Lublin in Poland and then completed her residency in pediatric training at Texas Tech University in El Paso, Texas. She then spent five years immersed in hematology/oncology training in Long Island and now practices at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Queens.

“I cannot imagine doing anything else,” Pooja said. “There’s really no better feeling than treating a child for their long-term health issues and then seeing them grow into healthy, wonderful children.”

While the intensity of the IB program at St. Pete High prepared the sisters for medical school and beyond, both recall plenty of fun during their high school years. Both girls enjoyed traditional Indian dancing as well as service projects through Key Club. Poorvi also played flag football all four years.

Pooja and Poorvi on St. Pete High campus

“It was a perfect blend of being able to do fun things, but also have my head on straight,” said Poorvi, who, along with her friends, started a pogo stick honor society just for fun. “We weren’t afraid to take chances but also had a really good time. I never took on more than I could handle.”

Now that both of her daughters have followed in her footsteps as working physicians, Desai couldn’t be more proud. And while working alongside Poorvi every day has challenges, Desai admits she has learned a lot about progressing her practice from her daughter.

“It’s a constant learning experience and always changing,” Desai said. “The generation gap can be challenging, but Poorvi teaches me a lot, which is very encouraging.”