Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Rahman, M.D.
Dr. Rahman, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ever since I was a little girl in a small town in Gainesville, TX. I always wanted to be a doctor. I grew up watching my dad, Dr. Pervaiz Rahman, take care of his patients with his whole heart. Because I was daddy’s little girl, I wanted to do what my dad did day in and day out. I went to Lindsay High School and graduated top of my class.
I attended Southern Methodist University and I have to admit, I didn’t take my college years too seriously. My chances of getting into medical school started dwindling away slowly. I started hearing about the concept of attending medical school in the Caribbean. It was a relatively new concept and a very looked down upon idea by the already practicing physicians in my community.
I had a counselor at SMU tell me that there is no way I would become a doctor. Another physician told me that patients would never respect me for going to a Caribbean medical school. While I was deciding what to do, my brother was really encouraging. He said: “When we climb mountains, does it matter how we get to the top?”
I decided to take a leap of faith and attend medical school at St. Matthews University in the Cayman Islands. It required two years of in-class attendance and the last two years were spent moving from city to city every two to three months for clinical rotations. Changing cities every few months was not easy. There were multiple moments where I would call my parents crying that I wanted to come home. It was the prayers and words of wisdom of my mom and dad that got me through those tough times.
I applied for the match and was blessed to be accepted to New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn.
I spent three years of training in New York. To be honest, I never unpacked my suitcase while I was there. I told myself I will not unpack till I get back home to Texas.
Texas is pretty stringent on licensure for those who attend foreign medical schools. I made sure I met every strict criteria and passed my American Board of Internal Medicine in August 2013. My first job out of residency was in Oklahoma at the Cancer Treatment Center of America. It was this job that really showed me the real side of medicine. Patients with stage IV cancer looking for a small chance when there was no hope for them elsewhere. It reminded me of what I had gone through just to achieve my dream of being a physician. After that, I spent time as a Hospitalist in Richardson and then decided to transition into outpatient primary care because I wanted to establish a long term relationship with patients. I spent a couple of years as an employee at the VA and another major medical center before deciding that it was time in my young career to go into private practice and start Sophia Rahman MD PLLC.
Private practice is not as lucrative nor easy as being employed. However, there is a sense of appreciation when you are able to set your own rules and just CARE for patients rather than being told to see a patient in 15 minutes and push them out the door. That is something I always looked forward to when I first decided to become a doctor.
It’s been nine months since I have been in practice and am enjoying every moment of it thanks to the support of my wonderful husband Hashir, my parents, and my siblings.
Please tell us about your practice.
Sophia Rahman, MD is the name of my practice. I specialize in internal medicine, chronic disease management, and primary care at my practice in Plano, Texas. My medical philosophy is based on open communication and collaboration with my patients and making myself accessible to patients via email, social media, and through the patient portal.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan despite what others may think. My favorite memory is when we were kids, my parents used to surprise us every few weekends with something fun or exciting. One day, during a successful Cowboys season in 1993, we were surprised with playoff tickets to the Cowboys-49ers NFC Championship game. We all went as a family and had such an incredible time. That same year, the Cowboys won the Super Bowl! I love this memory especially because it shows how present my parents were in our life and how instrumental they are in making us who we are today.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6300 Stonewood Dr. #200
Plano, TX 75024 - Website: www.sophiarahmanmd.com
- Phone: 972-867-1803
- Email: sophia.rahman02@gmail.com
- Instagram: @SophiaRahmanMD
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiarahmanmd/
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