More Than Medicine: Meet Dr. Gaayana Raju
Dr. Anna Raju is a girl after my own heart -healthcare and plants! If you know me, you know I’m fully in my houseplant and gardening era and, as it turns out, she is too!
When she’s not at the Botanical Gardens, Dr. Raju is living out her passion for medicine as a pediatric urologist. And this is going to be a big year for Dr. Raju and her partners as they launch a brand new practice, Pediatric Urology of San Antonio!
I’m excited to spend time with Dr. Anna Raju – let’s dive in!
Let’s start at the beginning, what inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, what drives your passion?
Dr. Raju: I was inspired to pursue a career in medicine by watching my father help people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. His passion for medicine was contagious and was my first inspiration. What drives my passion has evolved over the years. With age comes different experiences in life, and each step has opened my mind and been an opportunity for growth, to gain perspective, and connect with patients and my co-workers on a different level. When I first started practicing, I was very focused on ensuring I was doing the best job and refining my craft. As I progressed, gained experience and confidence, and had my own children, I hit a point where I started to connect to people on a whole new level,which I hadn’t experienced before. The connections that I feel I am now able to make with families opened a whole new beautiful experience to me that I didn’t even know could exist. Practicing medicine in today’s atmosphere has a lot of challenges and it can be very hard sometimes. It is not always easy, but as I get to know my patients and their families more, and am able to carry them through part of their health journey, the healing process becomes bidirectional. It made me realize there truly is an art to medicine. I still have much more growing and evolving to do and I look forward to this now more than ever. It is a very humbling experience and each day I am so grateful for the skills I have, and for the families I serve.
I love that you were inspired by your father and also hearing how your approach has changed over the course of your career. Healthcare in today’s environment could certainly use more physicians that prioritize connecting with patients and their families. You’ve experienced quite the personal evolution, how has your perspective evolved over the years? Would you choose the same speciality if you had it to do over?
Dr. Raju: My perspective has definitely changed over the years. I am very fortunate to be in a practice with partners who understand my desire to attempt to find work – life balance. In a surgical subspeciality practice, especially for a female, that is often easier said than done.
I love what I do and wouldn’t change my decision. However, I love learning new things! Now and then I do attend conferences in areas that are not related to my specialty.
That takes so much courage! And what a blessing to have the support of your work partners. If you could make one significant change to the healthcare system, what would it be?
Dr. Raju: I wish the focus of healthcare was on supporting practitioners to do the best possible job for their patients and supporting patients through their health, in good and challenging times. I wish we could bring back the human aspect to healthcare. I also feel there needs to be better support for health care workers at all levels of the health care team, from the medical assistants to the surgeons. If we want to do our best for patients, we as a community need to do our best for every member of the team as well.
I think that was something that was highlighted more than ever during the COVID pandemic. One blessing that came of that time might be the increased appreciation for the healthcare team. What advice would you give to young physicians or those considering a career in medicine?
Dr. Raju: As corny as this sounds, cherish this knowledge you are given. It is truly a gift and a privilege to learn these skills. Keep yourself grounded in love. Love yourself, love learning, love your patients, love your partners, love the staff around you – even the cranky ones! The more we seek to understand each other and treat each other with compassion, the easier things get for all of us, and where true healing is born. Also, something I wish I learned sooner, it’s so important to take care of yourself. The better you take care of yourself, the better you will be able to show up for the people you care for, in all aspects of your life. Never be afraid to ask for help. We are all human, we all need help at different times in different ways, and asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but of true strength. And most importantly LAUGH! Have fun! There are a lot of reasons to laugh and take advantage of every single one of those opportunities!
Yes! It seems like the generation entering medicine now has a more balanced approach to building their career while focusing on self-care. The old adage that you can’t pour from an empty cup definitely applies at all levels of the healthcare workforce Particularly for women! Speaking of self-care, what are some hobbies or passions outside of medicine that bring you joy or help you unwind?
Dr. Raju: I love spending time with my kids, cooking, traveling, and trying new activities.
My favorite hobbies exactly! And if you’re open to sharing, what is one thing that many people may not know about you?
Dr. Raju: I love plants and love to garden! I am a Bexar county Master Gardener and volunteer at the botanical gardens regularly. My family gardened even in Canada in the cold inhospitable weather conditions! My first jobs were with Agriculture and Agri food Canada and crop development with organic pesticide research.
Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more! I started gardening a few years ago and have truly fallen in love with the whole process. I mostly make it up as I go along and call my Master Gardener Mother-in-Law for advice. Now I know I can compare notes with you as well! But back to business, I understand you’re starting a new practice, can you tell me about that?
Dr. Raju: YES! We have officially started our new practice: Pediatric Urology of San Antonio. I am so happy to announce that along with me, Dr. Marks and Dr. Prieto are starting a new practice and we will be adding a fourth surgeon soon! Together we cover the full breadth and depth of pediatric urology and are expanding our practice rapidly. We have significant experience with Robotic and minimally invasive surgery. We have locations in the Medical Center, Stone Oak, and New Braunfels! We will be expanding to more locations over the next year.
That is so exciting for you, your partners and the San Antonio and New Braunfels communities!Congratulations on embarking on this new journey and I wish you only the best. Thank you for taking the time to visit with me today and I look forward to seeing what 2025 has in store for you…and what you’re planting in your spring garden!