Shenin Sachedina, D.O., FACOS, CCOM Class of 1990
“ Go into medicine with a very open and clear mind and know that you will get to do this extraordinary thing and help people and take care of them. ”
What are you doing now/ where do you practice?
I am a board-certified general surgeon, specializing in breast cancer, and the founder of the Central Florida Breast Center, P.A., in Winter Park, Florida. Our breast center has provided care for both benign and malignant breast diseases to the Central Florida Area since 1996. Throughout my career, I have been a part of medical projects and other philanthropic programs that help women around the world.
Also, I am the author of Metu and Lee Learn About Breast Cancer, a medically accurate children’s book that helps educate children ages 5 and above about breast cancer. It is a tool to start a conversation about this disease in terms that children can understand. I’ve since written other books in the series including Metu and Lee Learn About Cancer and Metu And Lee Learn About Leukemia.
What is something you are proud of?
The fact that I'm a mom and I can do all this. I have two great kids, my son, Aman, and my daughter, Aznin, who are both in their early 20s. I think being able to have a balanced approach to life along with a career in medicine is difficult, but I really do try to keep a solid head on my shoulders in all these different aspects of my life. That's something that I'm pretty proud of. I think it helps me be a better doctor, a better parent, and a better citizen because I'm able to look at things and determine where am I needed most and how can I be present in that moment. It’s been a really good skill set for me to learn.
Who are your female role models?
My mom, Roshan Sachedina. My mom had a fourth-grade education. She grew up in the boondocks of Africa. She came to the United States as a refugee with my dad and four children, ages three to 15, from Uganda. I was nine when we came to the U.S.
There was a church that sponsored us here and she became a cook there and later worked as a nurse’s aide. She learned to speak English by watching Sesame Street with my three-year-old brother. My mom – and my dad – did an amazing job raising us. My dad worked at the Caterpillar factory on the assembly line. My parents literally came to the U.S. with nothing. Yet, they instilled in us a love for this country and the importance of education. We all went to college and have successful careers.
My parents also taught us the importance of gratitude. And that is something that has inspired my philanthropy work which includes promoting breast cancer awareness, providing medical equipment for breast cancer screens to mobile clinics in Africa, and supporting families dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
Did you have a female mentor while you were at MWU?
I had many great professors and mentors at CCOM, but at the time I was in medical school, most of the faculty and clinical instructors were men.
What advice do you have for women who want to go into healthcare careers?
Go into medicine with a very open and clear mind and know that you will get to do this extraordinary thing and help people and take care of them. But, you can still have a balanced life with a family and with other hobbies. And, I would highly encourage them to have hobbies because they enrich you as a person and are a great way to communicate with patients because you can meet them on a more human level. I am also blessed to be married to my husband, Aziz Jasani, who is a corporate executive who left his job to come and work side by side with me at my clinic. He handles all the financial side of things, so I can concentrate on caring for my patients.
