MedEd Profile
SHEFALI PAPPU
Shefali Pappu is a fourth-year medical student at Texas A&M Health Science Center College
of Medicine (TAMHSC) and is currently completing a rotation at Baylor University Medical
Center at Dallas. In addition to her studies, Shefali
serves in a leadership position as chief executive
officer of the Dallas campus. In this role she serves
as a liaison between faculty and students on the Dallas campus.
With plans to pursue her residency
in obstetrics and gynecology, Shefali
is anxiously and excitedly awaiting
Match Day, when she will find out
where the next four years of her life
and training will be spent.
Arriving in the United States from
India at the age of two, Shefali lived
in various states growing up, but
SHEFALI
calls Texas home.
“While English is not my first language, most
people would be convinced otherwise by my
Southern drawl,” said Shefali. “I feel like a true
Texas girl. My heart belongs to College Station,
Texas – I’ve lived there for more than 15 years now.”
Before joining TAMHSC, Shefali earned her
bachelor’s degree in anthropology at Washington
University in St. Louis and her master’s degree in
biological sciences at The University of North
Texas Health Science Center.
“My undergraduate studies in anthropology
gave me the opportunity to learn about new cultures, beliefs and practices,” said Shefali. “I
firmly believe it has made me a better, more
compassionate medical student, and my hope is
that this translates to the type of physician I will
be in the future.”
What brought you to Baylor?
I wanted to have an extremely enriching clinical experience and Baylor was the perfect
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opportunity for that. The prestige surrounding
this hospital and the amazing faculty and physicians associated with it made it the ideal choice for
my formative clinical years. During the two years
I have been here, I have been fortunate to work
with some incredible physicians. My clinical experience with the obstetrics and gynecology physicians, specifically, solidified my
dreams of going into this field. I will
forever be thankful to Baylor for providing me with this training and
these opportunities.
What are your hobbies or interests?
I love spending time outdoors,
preferably by a body of water. If I
could live on the lake and be out on
a boat for the rest of my life, I probably would. Arts and crafts are also
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a huge passion of mine. I love to
paint and try new D.I.Y. projects whenever I can.
I would also say that I live to eat – trying new
foods, new restaurants and new recipes at home is
something I love!
Describe your family.
My family is small (I am an only child) and
incredibly close. We are like the three musketeers,
and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Who are your heroes?
My parents are my heroes. They moved our family to the United States from India when I was less
than 2 years old in order to pursue a better life.
They put themselves through school while taking
care of a small child. I saw, firsthand, what dedication and hard work really meant, and what true
sacrifice was. They never let anything stand in the
way of my dreams and provided me with unconditional love and support. I will always be thankful for them and hope to grow up and be just as
inspirational.