DOCTORS OF INTEREST
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The ONCOLOGIST
For Alpana Desai, being an oncologist
is more than just coming up with a
treatment plan and guiding a patient
through the ordeal of cancer. Vivacious,
intelligent and witty, she is passionate about
her career and the role that she plays in her
patients’ survival.
“I want to make sure that everyone who
is going through the process can be at peace,
enjoy their life, and live in the moment,” she
said. “Whether it’s an early stage tumor and
they’re scared about doing the chemo — or
not doing the chemo — and afterwards they’re
always terrified that it will come back. Or
the ones who are more advanced and we’re
trying to give them as much time as we can.
Empowering each person is what I feel most
strongly about.”
Born in Chicago, Desai moved with her
family to Anderson, Ind. — a small town near
Indianapolis — when she was 5 years old. Her
father, Ashok Desai, was a mechanical engineer
for RCA and later General Motors. She fondly
remembers her childhood in the Midwest.
“My parents were forced to assimilate, and
I felt like it was a good way to grow up,” she
recalled. “Where I went to school, I was like
the only Indian person. I got the best of both
worlds. The people were so nice and friendly.
We never felt excluded or discriminated.”
It was in the first or second grade that a
teacher planted a seed in Desai’s mind and
encouraged her to consider medicine as her
future career path. As the years went by, she
excelled in math and science. Yet, she was
drawn to learning about the human experience
through history and social sciences.
She attended Northwestern University in
Chicago and studied biomedical engineering
as part of its honors program. But after three
years, Desai felt life pulling her in a different
direction. She left Northwestern and enrolled
into the medical school at Indiana University.
This was where she discovered her love for
oncology.
“I already had an inkling about oncology
through molecular biology at Northwestern,
but Indiana University had a really strong
oncology program,” Desai said. “Larry Einhorn
was my senior adviser, and in oncology, he’s a
big name. He was Lance Armstrong’s doctor
and he found a cure for testicular cancer. So, I
was already interested in oncology and became
even more interested when I was exposed to
these people who are smart and leaders in
their field.”
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ED DRONDOSKI PHOTOS
Dr. Alpana Desai is passionate about empowering her patients as she leads them through
treatment. She says the best part of her job is hearing their life stories.
BY DONNA CRARY
Treasure Coast Medical Report