Raman awarded the 2024 U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award

Shivani Raman, a dual-degree MD/MPH graduate from UT Southwestern Medical Center and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, was awarded the Excellence in Public Health Award. Administered by the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee, this award recognizes exemplary medical students who advance public health by advancing public health in their communities. This award marks a poignant moment in Raman's career in medicine and public health. 

"I am honored to be the recipient of the U.S. Public Health Service 2024 Excellence in Public Health Award.?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," said Raman. 
 
As an undergraduate student at Rice University, Raman studied abroad in Chile with a program focused primarily on public health, traditional medicine, and community empowerment. Raman studied the double burden of noncommunicable diseases and neglected tropical diseases in marginalized rural communities in Peru. Additionally, through the Health, Humanism, and Society Scholars Program, she researched post-discharge care in patients with heart failure at the Veterans Administration in Houston. 

Raman is the granddaughter of immigrants, and her mother, Chhaya Patel, speaks fondly about her family's pride in Raman's successes. "Shivani's grandparents worked hard to provide opportunities for their children and grandchildren. What an honor it is, first to be her mother and second to have an amazing daughter. Words cannot express just how proud I am of her. When I reflect on our times together and apart, I get very emotional. I have missed having her near me during her higher education, but the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices she had to make to get her to this moment is quite admirable."  

Raman credits her experience as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow as an impactful experience during medical school. She designed and implemented a blood pressure monitoring program at a free clinic. This fellowship enabled Raman and her team to change how participants managed their blood pressure, thereby improving their hypertension, with the support of the program.  

Bijal Balasubramanian, MBBS, PhD, professor of the Department of Epidemiology and regional dean of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Dallas, served as Raman's practicum mentor for this project.  
Raman will begin her residency in psychiatry at UT Southwestern as part of the Rural and Public Mental Health Track. Her interests focus on community psychiatry, cultural psychiatry, and global mental health