Women in Medicine: Smita Das, MD, PhD, MPH

Why did you pursue a career in medicine?

I initially was interested in public health research, stemming from my work in Professor Emeritus C Barr Taylor's psychiatry lab. It became clear that whether I was working with people trying to quit smoking, people with cardiovascular disease plus depression or people with poor body image, that the effect of the human interaction and an intervention could have a powerful impact. I was fortunate to have learned CBT over 20 years ago in Dr. Taylor's lab by delivering smoking cessation interventions at the bedside at Stanford Hospital. Doing this work was highly gratifying and so rather than stopping at research, I continued in clinical medicine. Psychiatry was the perfect fit since behavior in my mind affects everything else.

What is your work focused on?

With a background in public health and as an addiction psychiatrist, my work involves disseminating evidence-based care either to individuals or to populations. At the Stanford Dual Diagnosis Clinic I have the pleasure of working with our patients and trainees to help reduce the impacts of substance use disorders. Outside of Stanford, I am the medical director of psychiatry at mental health technology company where I translate clinical evidence into scalable programs to improve access to Mental Health care.

My hobby is organized medicine. I love being involved with the American Psychiatric Association and other organizations where I can learn from colleagues, contribute to policy and help in education. I've had the privilege of being the president of the Northern California Psychiatric Society as an early career psychiatrist and now I am chair of the Council on Addictions at the American Psychiatric Association. I was inspired by strong women in these roles and my hope is to continue that legacy.

What is the most fulfilling part of your work?

People often ask me if as a psychiatrist, and especially as an addiction psychiatrist if my work is depressing. In my role, my work is actually extremely uplifting. When a patient walks into my office or logs on for a visit, they have taken ani incredibly brave step for their health and well-being. Despite all of their struggles and setbacks, they are choosing to have a conversation. Our patients are incredibly inspiring and it's very fulfilling.

What advice would you give yourself when you started in the field, knowing what you know now?

I'd remind myself that paths are not always linear. Where I am now is not where I imagined I'd be 25 years ago. There were setbacks along the way, and those have helped shape my path and helped me appreciate and value what I have. As I move forward in my career I make sure to be mindful in the moment and take it all in. As a woman in medicine, there are a lot of roles to play and a lot of barriers that we are breaking down. For me, it's important to enjoy the moment and love what I do everyday, even if it's not what I thought I'd be doing.