The AMA “Members Move Medicine” series profiles a wide variety of doctors, offering a glimpse into the passions of women and men navigating new courses in American medicine.
On the move with: Kavita Shah Arora, MD, MBE, an ob-gyn at Case Western Reserve University’s MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.
AMA member since: 2005.
What inspired me to pursue a career in medicine: As a girl scout, we were taught to always leave a camp site, meeting place, or anywhere we went better than when we arrived. Medicine is my way of making the world a better place—one patient at a time.
How I move medicine: By advocating for my patients—whether at the bedside, through my research or through policy.
Career highlights: I am proud to bridge my interests in bioethics and women’s health through opportunities such as serving on the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, Committee on Ethics for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Board of Directors for the American Society for Bioethics and the Humanities.
Advice I’d give to those interested in pursuing a career in medicine: Medicine is not a career—it is a calling. It is a total commitment to the well-being of others, to lifelong learning, and to improve the world around us.
Aspect of my work that means the most: The amount of trust our patients put in our hands, our hearts, and our judgement is incredible. Whether it is to deliver their newborn baby, as they go to sleep on the operating room table, or in the clinic to keep them healthy, this trust is both powerful and humbling.
How I advocate for physicians and patients: Just as bench-to-bedside researchers partake in translational research, I lead through translational advocacy. My passion is to apply evidence-based medicine and research to health care policy to improve health and reduce disparities.
My hope for the future of medicine: That the traditional fields of medicine join forces with other stakeholders to operationalize a broader view of health to improve the communities in which we live, eliminate disparities and create a more just health care system.
Visit MembershipMovesMedicine.com to learn more about other AMA members who are relentlessly moving medicine through advocacy, education, patient care and practice innovation, and join or renew today.
