Doctor tells women, ‘Make time for health’

Dr. Chandra Chaudhuri-Raghuthaman entered medical school hoping to become a pediatrician, but during her third year, a family practice rotation changed her mind. 

“I realized that I really also enjoyed the interaction with adult patients,” Chaudhuri-Raghuthaman said. “Family practice was just a perfect field to go into, so I could have relationships and interactions with adults and kids.”   Today, Chaudhuri-Raghuthaman works at Kelsey-Seybold, a network of multi-specialty clinics with a highly trained medical staff. Having worked with the company for seven years, she has witnessed some major changes.    “We have electronic medical records now that allow patients to communicate with us via email and see their results and everything online,” Chaudhuri-Raghuthaman said. “There have been huge changes from when I started working here seven years ago, all to promote better care for the patients.”   When it comes to her practice, Chaudhuri-Raghuthaman said her patients give her the best advice.  “I used to think that it was unusual when patients came in and made comments like, ‘Thank you so much, doctor, for listening to me.   I’ve never had a physician listen to me before,’” she said. “Listening seems to be such a simple thing to do, but I think sometimes it gets overlooked. Women’s health issues can be complicated. A woman can be suffering from depression, menopause or thyroid issues and have similar symptoms.   “As a good clinician, if we spend time to listen to our patients, then we’re better able to help them and figure out the exact problem.”   Chaudhuri-Raghuthaman takes a preventive approach to health care, emphasizing exercise and mental health to her patients. She says heart disease is the most underdiagnosed problem in women and advises her patients to work out daily.    Additionally, Chaudhuri-Raghuthaman advises women who are busy with work and family commitments always to remember to make time for themselves.   “There are many women who are playing roles of mothers and wives, and the honest truth is, especially for mothers, there’s a general inclination to put yourself aside for others. But I think it’s really important for us to take care of our own health.”   Arianna Stern is a freelance writer. She can be reached at neighborhoods@chron.com.   ABOUT DR. CHANDRA CHAUDURI-RAGHUTHAMAN OCCUPATION: Family practice physician COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Practices out of the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Katy FAST FACT: Has authored numerous health care-related articles.