Neeta Sethi, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist, who is an inpatient hospitalist also specializing in reading echocardiograms and performing transesophageal imaging in the cardiothoracic operative room. She talks to us about how she became interested in pediatric cardiology while volunteering in a rural hospital in India. She also discusses her current research project identifying health disparities in patients with palliated critical congenital heart disease and her passions outside of Duke.
How long have you been at Duke? How did you decide to come here?
I joined the Duke pediatric cardiology division this past August, just after I graduated from fellowship at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. My husband went to Duke University for his master’s degree about ten years ago, and we fell in love with the RTP area at that time. And so, it had always been a pipeline dreams of ours to settle in this area. Interviewing for the position, I immediately knew that I would be well supported here growing in my early career. Personally and professionally, the transition here has been wonderful!
What are your current responsibilities within the Department of Pediatrics? What does your typical day look like?
There is no typical day! I am an inpatient hospitalist, so I am on service on average every fourth week. The remaining of my time is spread across outpatient clinics, reading echocardiograms in the lab and doing transesophageal imaging in the cardiothoracic operative room, and staffing the fetal cardiology clinics.
How and when did you initially become interested in medicine? What made you decide to pursue a career in pediatric cardiology in particular?
In college, I volunteered in a rural hospital in India. One night, there was a newborn that rapidly became cyanotic and listless. In a vacuum without advanced cardiac medicine, I felt the immense weight of the field. From there, I was drawn to pediatric cardiology and never looked back!
Is there any research or other special projects you are doing or plan on doing?
I just started a project with an incoming fellow to identify heath disparities in patients with palliated critical congenital heart disease based on racial and education isolation, which I am very excited about.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Every day, I am so inspired by our patient families and humbled to be part of their journeys through all the highs and the lows. Medicine aside, that is absolutely the best part of my job.
Do you have any advice for trainees?
Follow your dreams and your heart; the rest will fall into place!
What passions or hobbies do you have outside of Duke?
We have a 2-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, who keeps us very active! We love being outdoors exploring all of the wonderful trails and parks here, and Aaliyah is excited to have just learned to use her scooter by herself!