Doctor Follows in Her Father’s Footsteps Serving Others

It’s not uncommon for a child to follow in his or her father’s footsteps when it comes time to choose a profession. However, it’s a little more difficult when your father is a surgeon. After all, there’s a lot of education and training involved.

That didn’t deter Priti Khanijou, M.D., of Glastonbury, who has joined the medical staff of Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Now 32, she knew when she was nine years old that she wanted to be a doctor just like her father, a general surgeon in Cleveland.

“I saw how much his patients loved my father and how much he loves his work. I loved science and it seemed like a natural fit,” Khanijou said. She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.  She served as an intern and resident in internal medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Khanijou most recently was associated with South Shore Hospital, South Weymouth, Mass. 

She is a hospitalist at Saint Francis, which means she only cares for patients admitted to the hospital. She had spent a year in private practice and didn’t like giving up patients who needed acute care that they could only receive in a hospital setting.

“It’s a personality thing. I find hospital medicine more intriguing,” she said.

Being a hospitalist allows her to actually spend more time with patients than she could in private practice.

“Your time is better allocated in the hospital setting,” Khanijou said.

Her relocation to Hartford came about because her husband landed a position as an attorney at Aetna. “I didn’t know much about Hartford besides it was known as ‘The Insurance Capital of the World.’ We love all that it offers,” she said.

In her off hours, Khanijou and her husband enjoy spending time in the fresh air. Travel is also a major interest for them.

 “My husband and I like to go to foreign countries. We like to explore other cultures,” she said of their visits to Spain, Ireland, Switzerland, India, China and Japan. “We love interacting with the people.”