Meet Sima Desai, Diversity Advisory Council Member

“Working in a diverse environment has taught me the value of understanding that we all come from different places and have different views about how the world works and that is what makes each one of us unique.”

Sima Desai, M.D.
Section Chief, Division of Hospital Medicine
Associate Residency Program Director, Internal Medicine

Sima grew up in New Mexico and earned both her B.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of New Mexico. After completing her residency at OHSU, including a year of chief residency, she joined the OHSU faculty as an academic teaching hospitalist. As Section Chief for the Division of Hospital Medicine, Sima supervises the medicine teaching service. She also serves as Associate Residency Program Director for Internal Medicine, which she loves doing because, she says, “My greatest enjoyment is in teaching and mentoring. I find great fulfillment in seeing all levels of learners, from students to fellows, moving forward in their careers and personal lives.”

Having the opportunity to work with many different people at many different levels within the university is what makes Sima’s position at OHSU exciting and fulfilling for her. She also enjoys working in a diverse environment because it has taught her how to understand her interactions with others and grow in a positive direction. Because of that, she approaches each interaction with a hope and understanding of where the other person is coming from and the value that person brings to an interaction, a place or a time.