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Savitha Balaraman, MD — Oncologist

Bloomfield Hills, MI — Savitha Balaraman, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who’s Who as an Exceptional Woman in Healthcare in the Medical field, acknowledging her outstanding work with Michigan Healthcare Professionals.

As a fellowship-trained oncologist, Dr. Balaraman manages and oversees the treatment of cancer patients after they have been diagnosed with the disease. She works within the Division of Clinical Hematology & Medical Oncology at Michigan Healthcare Professionals, serving patients at the offices in Farmington Hills and Royal Oak, MI. Committed to providing cutting-edge cancer care, she believes it is a privilege and an honor to take care of patients during difficult times. She prides herself on providing compassionate and personable care to her patients and their families. Her special interests include breast, colon, lung, and gynecological cancers.

In Michigan, Dr. Balaraman is affiliated with several hospitals, including Beaumont Hospital Farmington Hills; Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak; Beaumont Hospital Troy; HealthMatch; Ascension Michigan Providence Hospital; Ascension Michigan Macomb-Oakland Hospital; Karmanos Cancer Institute; and Henry Ford Macomb Hospital – Clinton Township. She also teaches medical residents and students at Botsford Hospital.

Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. An oncologist is a doctor who treats cancer and provides medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer. They lead a cancer treatment team of various healthcare professionals to treat patients with radiation therapy, coordinate treatment plans, prescribe different types of treatment, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and assist patients with pain management.

Graduating with her medical degree from Madras Medical College in India, Dr. Balaraman was among the top one percentile for medical students in her country. She then relocated to the United States to perform her internship and residency in internal medicine at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital. This was followed by a fellowship in medical oncology at Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak in 2004.

With over 25 years of experience in her field, the doctor is board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led non-profit independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

On the Board of Directors of the Michigan Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Dr. Balaraman is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the American Medical Association.

Dr. Balaraman has won many honors and accolades throughout her fruitful career, including the Best Teacher Award at Botsford Hospital and Hour Detroit’s 2008 and 2009 “Top Docs.”

On a more personal note, the doctor is fluent in English, Tamil, and Hindi.

Dr. Balaraman was about nine years old when her aunt died from rheumatic heart failure, which greatly affected her whole family. They are a very close family, and losing their loved one was difficult. Growing up, her uncle was a veterinarian, and she went with him when he was performing an autopsy on a calf. Her uncle told her if the calf were human and able to talk, it would likely have lived because they would have known something was wrong. These experiences are what led her to seek a career in healthcare. 

In addition to treating patients, Dr. Balaraman also greatly enjoys teaching and mentoring medical students. Her two children are also going into careers in the medical field because they see how rewarding her work is for her.

Outside of work, Dr. Balaraman loves music and listens to all genres, but she especially loves classical Indian music and enjoys singing with a small group. She also enjoys the outdoors and often likes kayaking on the lake. For relaxation, she does yoga and meditation.

For more information, visit www.mhpdoctor.com.

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