Aditee Ambardekar, M.D.

Contributions to STEMM

As a pediatric anesthesiologist, Dr. Ambardekar “takes care of children during invasive procedures and surgeries. I make sure they are safe to have the procedure, give medications to make them unconscious and manage their pain, monitor their vital signs, support their physiology, advocate for them while they are under anesthesia, and wake them up when their procedure is completed,” she said. Dr. Ambardekar also does clinical research on how best to care for burn-injured children under anesthesia and “hopes her work will inform future surgeons and anesthesiologists in the coming years.”

Advice to the Next Generation

Dr. Ambardekar mentors the next generation of physicians as “an educator and a director of the Anesthesia Residency Program,” she said.

“I have the privilege of teaching and leading a program to teach young doctors to become anesthesiologists.”

She advises students to “keep your sights on your goals and monitor your progress regularly towards those goals. Surround yourself with others like you – teachers and mentors who will support you along the way. Find your group of friends that are like you and will be good partners and sounding boards.” In addition, Dr. Ambardekar said, “Above all, know that even if your journey feels hard or may feel different from those around you, your resolve will pay off – and it’s worth it.”

Overcoming Challenges

“Setbacks and barriers are a normal part of professional life, and everyone encounters them,” Dr. Ambardekar recalled. However, “it is one’s reflection of and response to these setbacks that matters. Fierce commitment to one’s goals provides a resolve and grit to overcome these challenges and sets the foundation for moving forward. A supportive network, an engaged mentor and sponsor, and a plan help negotiate these challenges and helps propel one forward.”

The UT Southwestern Difference

“Every day when I enter my office or the hospital, I know that my day’s work has meaning and impact; impact on the patients for whom I care and impact on the trainees and the education community I support. This is very important to me. Aside from truly enjoying my work in the operating room, I love that I have opportunities to learn and improve my skills almost daily. I also love the energy and spirit of those with whom I get to work.”

Dr. Ambardekar is honored to be featured in the Celebrating Breakthroughs Together Project. “To me, this project is important for our next generation of women scientists and doctors; to role model and enable them to see what is possible and how they, too, can make a difference,” she said. “I hope they know that generations of women have come before them who have made a difference in the world and whose work has slowly broken down barriers for future successes of women in STEMM.”