By Julianna Brown
Staff Writer
Dr. Angela Ahuja was raised to believe in the importance of education. And she does.
Ahuja, who recently began a year-long stint as chief resident of the pediatrics department at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, said her success so far is a direct result of the principles her parents instilled in her and her two younger sisters.
"My dad and mom have stressed education since we were young," 28-year-old Ahuja said. "I can remember even in kindergarten doing our multiplication tables."
That dedication to learning, she said, is a driving force behind her ability to excel in an often competitive field.
Ahuja graduated from Pillow Academy in 1993 before beginning a four-year run at Millsaps, where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in chemistry.
From there, she was accepted into the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. She graduated in May, 2001, and began her pediatric residency at UMC.
In 2004, she was asked to accept the chief residency position in the pediatrics department at UMC - a position for which others had applied, but for which Ahuja was approached directly to accept. She hadn't even filled out an application.
Ahuja said she immediately called her father for advice - not an unusual practice for her.
"I couldn't make those decisions on my own," Ahuja said. "My family is really a part of everything I do. When I got into medical school, we all cried. When I graduated, we all cried. It's just what we do."
Her father, Mulak "Jack" Ahuja, owner of the Ramada Inn, said he remembered getting his daughter's call.
"They offered her a good salary, and I said, 'You better go ahead and take it,'" Jack Ahuja said. "I was surprised that she was even asking whether she should accept it."
Jack Ahuja, who teaches at Mississippi Valley State University, said he told his daughter that he would accept the position right away.
"I've been teaching for 30 years, and I don't make that," he said, laughing.
He also said an education, regardless of the financial expense, is a very good investment.
"It takes dedication and sacrifice, but the future becomes brighter when you have an education. More opportunities open up for you," he said.
Jack Ahuja said he "came out of the country" of India because of education, and his daughters, Angela, Seema and Reena could see that from the very beginning.
"They knew the reason I came here was because of education," he said. "They see their parents working hard and that becomes a part of them. It's built into their systems."
Angela Ahuja's explanation of her parents' work ethic directly reflected her father's sentiments.
"He had very little when he came from India, and his success has to do with education and hard work," she said. "My parents didn't have to tell us about hard work and determination. They showed us."
The middle Ahuja sister, Seema, 21, will begin medical school at UMMC next year. Reena, 19, is currently enrolled at Millsaps.
In addition to her current chief residency, Angela Ahuja has also been accepted to the Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Fellowship training program at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colo.
The fellowship, which will begin in July 2005, will allow Ahuja to further specialize after her residency. It is one of the top programs in the country.
Allergy specialty programs such as this one are so competitive that there are often 80-90 people applying for one fellowship.
She was also accepted to the programs at Baylor and Tulane.
Angela Ahuja said she isn't certain what career path she will take following the fellowship in Colorado.
"That's what's really good about medicine," she said. "There are so many different avenues you can take, whether it's immediately starting a practice, teaching or specializing.
"I'm willing to consider doing academics somewhere. I think it would be neat to do the academic side of it and have a private practice - a little bit of both."
She also said if someone had told her before she started her medical education that she would be in school for almost 10 years after college, she probably would have said "no way."
She wouldn't, however, do anything differently if given the opportunity to start over.
"I'd do it all over again," she said. "As hard as it's been, it's been an absolute blast."
