You might say it was Susan Vittichira’s destiny to become a physician. “I’ve always had the desire to serve people in a medical way,” says Susan, who grew up in a family full of physicians. “Also, my best friend’s parents were missionary doctors and seeing them serve the community inspired me. Then, my favorite subject in school was always science. Later, in college, my favorite subjects were botany and zoology.”

Susan was born on the west coast of southern India in the state of Kerala, a place she calls “a tropical heaven. In the northern part of the state, you have a lot of tropical rainforests.  In the south, you have beaches and palm trees. And it has 100 percent literacy.”

She had a relatively smooth road to completing medical school and fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor. “I was a good student throughout my life. I got admission into medical school in India without problems, and I went through medical school without any problems. My family was very supportive and encouraging.”

After medical school Susan married a fellow doctor, a pulmonologist, who was an American citizen, and they came to the United States in 1995. They have two sons, 7 and 3.

A love for Ayurveda developed during her residency program in physical medicine and rehabilitation, a medical specialty that deals with diagnosis and treatment of people with physical and/or cognitive impairment. A victim of stroke would be an example of the type of patient these doctors work with. It was during the residency program that she witnessed many chronic health conditions that weren’t being healed.

“They weren’t being resolved with conventional medicine alone,” says Susan. “Especially chronic problems like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and chronic immune problems. That’s when I decided that the practice of Ayurveda needed to be integrated.” Susan’s medical practice combines conventional medicine and Ayurvedic medicine.  

Ayurveda is a holistic system of healing that evolved in India more than 5000 years ago. Besides focusing on establishing and maintaining balance of the life energies within us, rather than focusing on individual symptoms, it also recognizes the unique constitutional differences of all individuals, so recommends different regimens for different types of people. Most of all, it reminds us of the mind and body connection.

Susan says her life is governed by principles as ancient as Ayurveda: “There’s a saying in India that you have to do things that are in your karma, and karma is the path of righteousness. If you are in your karma, everything else comes: satisfaction in life, satisfaction in relationships, satisfaction in work.”