Prachi Priya, M.D., joined EnMed’s faculty this spring, bringing rich experience as a clinical practitioner, lecturer and business leader. She has held a number of roles in the U.S. health care system and taught anatomy, physiology, microbiology and pharmacology at a number of colleges throughout the Houston area. At EnMed, Priya will teach physiology and pathophysiology for first-year students.
Priya earned her medical degree from the National Medical College and Hospital in Birgunj, Nepal. While completing a residency at the Government Medical College in Bhavnagar, India, she led research on the adverse effects of smoking on cardiovascular health, managing studies that involved more than 800 subjects. Her clinical experience there also included working closely with obstetricians and assisting in delivering babies at a maternity unit while in residency.
She also taught at the Government Medical College, developing lesson plans and deploying nontraditional teaching methodologies that included case-based learning and flipped classroom methods to enhance student engagement. Her students used this training to help become better physicians and nurses.
“I have always been a big proponent of two-way dialogue between professors and students to enhance the student’s curiosity and engagement,” Priya said. “I find that effective learning outcomes can be achieved by using nondirect teaching methods.”
Priya is greatly experienced in online educational platforms and case-based learning and has taught multiple courses during the COVID-19 pandemic in subjects like anatomy and physiology, as well as other foundational bioscience classes. She has used her dynamic skills in such platforms as operations manager at Continuity Care, a telehealth medical startup firm in the U.S. The company provides preventive care for patients with chronic health issues. Additionally, she managed budgets and oversaw the recruiting of medical staff members.
Priya believes understanding diverse cultures is vital for EnMed students, and she enjoys sharing her background and experiences from living and working around the Nepalese and Indian cultures. She is passionate about the unique nature and bold ambitions of the EnMed program and said she will strive to become a strong mentor to students as they navigate their academic, clinical and research careers.
Priya welcomes collaborations with colleagues on research in bioscience, medical and engineering projects as the face of medicine is changing and will continue to change in the decades ahead.
“I believe Dr. Priya’s strong clinical academic background and her use of innovative teaching methods will be a great benefit to our diverse body of engineering and medical students,” said Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine dean. “We welcome her to our sterling team of professionals, and we wish her great success as she helps harness medicine and engineering to create a better future for all.”