Ep. 135 Building the Career You Want in OB/GYN with Dr. Chitra Akileswaran

What does it take to design a career in medicine that truly fits your values, your life, and your goals? On this episode of BackTable Women’s Health, Dr. Nicole Faulkner welcomes Dr. Chitra Akileswaran, board-certified OBGYN and founder of Avaiyar Private Care, for a candid discussion on building a career that breaks the mold. Dr. Akileswaran traces her path from global public health and a joint MD-MBA to leadership in county health systems, digital health startups, and now direct pay practice, sharing how each chapter reflected her changing priorities. --- Get the BackTable app https://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 06:19 - Public Health and Global Work 10:33 - Residency and Early Career Choices 15:04 - Founding a Digital Health Company 19:48 - Ambulatory Operations Leadership 24:36 - Leading a County Medical Group 29:32 - Physician Needs and Retention 34:25 - Physician Compensation Overhaul 41:47 - Physician Unionization and Employment 46:25 - Pregnancy Loss and Perspective 49:09 - Launching a Direct Pay Practice 57:10 - Mentorship in Private Practice 01:03:28 - Closing Remarks --- More about this episode The conversation explores lessons learned leading hundreds of physicians, overhauling compensation and benefits, and navigating unionization and administrative change. Dr. Akileswaran speaks openly about personal milestones, including pregnancy loss, and how it drove her to redesign her life and practice. Topics include mentorship, apprenticeship, work-life integration, and the practical steps and mindset shifts needed to carve out a fulfilling, sustainable career in medicine. --- Resources Avaiyar Private Care, Dr. Akileswaran's direct pay OBGYN practice https://avaiyarprivatecare.com/ Cleo, the digital health company she co-founded https://hicleo.com/ ACOG Well-Being and Physician Support Resources https://www.acog.org/career-support/well-being AMA Physician Practice Benchmark Survey: Smaller Share of Doctors in Private Practice Than Ever Before https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/private-practices/smaller-share-doctors-private-practice-ever MGMA Provider Compensation Data Reports, the benchmarking source referenced on air https://www.mgma.com/mgma-data-reports Dr. Chitra Akileswaran, UCSF OBGYN Residency Alumni Profile https://obgyn.ucsf.edu/residency-program/chitra-akileswaran-md-mba --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app