Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I am originally from Baltimore, MD, but have been nomadic because of my medical training! I moved to NYC for college and medical school and met my husband during my medical internship. Despite having to live apart for four years because of our careers, we finally reunited in Baltimore while I finished my surgical fellowship at Johns Hopkins. Because my husband was
originally from New York and we both wanted to live near the city, we decided to move to Westchester about three years ago.
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
We were fortunate enough to welcome our daughter Ava in September of 2017, and she is soon to be 2 years old!
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I love classical music – growing up, my father would play a mix of traditional and Persian classical music on the violin and I began taking piano lessons from a young age. I used to compete in festivals locally and cherish taking some moments to play the piano with my daughter (even if the playlist has a heavy nursery rhyme bend to it these days ).
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
My husband and our moms – it truly takes a village. Being a working mom in a two-physician household has been filled with stresses and moments of guilt, but my husband has always been encouraging and supportive of my career and keeps everything organized, coming up with fun family outings for us to do on the weekends. Our moms have been amazing at stepping in whenever my husband and I have work-related challenges and commitments and they shower Ava with affection.
Favorite things to do with your kids?
Ava loves being outside and that has led to our discovering some wonderful local activities together like visiting Muscoot Farms, the Norwalk Aquarium, Rye Playland and the Bronx Botanical Garden.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I recently took the leap and started a solo practice in Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgery with offices in Greenwich, CT and Westchester NY. I had previously been serving as the head of Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Yale University before opening doors locally here in May.
I am excited to provide a whole range of cosmetic procedures but my particular focus and area of expertise is in upper and lower eyelid surgery for droopy eyelids, dark circles, puffiness and baggy skin. I also do procedures to treat patients of all ages with vision problems from drooping eyelids, blocked tear ducts, biopsies and reconstructive procedures for growths of the eyelids and eye sockets, fractures of the eye socket, and rehabilitation of the eyelids and eye appearance from thyroid eye disease.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Building relationships with our neighbors and local moms has been one of the best parts of living here. I have received support and advice on starting a practice from so many amazing entrepreneurial moms who have managed to succeed and have always encouraged me to demand more – I cannot overstress the importance of this kind of mentorship! Although dual-income households are commonplace, my husband and I both had moms who stayed home, so getting advice from other parents in the community on how they have managed the challenges of juggling work and family life responsibilities has been extremely helpful in providing reassurance and normalizing what has been a new experience for us.
Part of why I decided to start my own practice after giving birth to my daughter is because I grew to value the importance of taking time for yourself when running a household, and I love being able to provide a personalized service and take time for my patients, because they give so much of themselves
and their time to others. It helps to remember that we are all doing the best we can, and we should allow ourselves to feel good about that!
