Dr. Sanjay Dharmapuri’s extensive work and educational background prior to his career in medicine which has informed and shaped his holistic approach to psychiatric treatment. His interest in psychiatry began with his work as an English instructor in Bogota, Colombia, where he learned to speak Spanish. This led him to a career in public education as a middle school teacher in New York City. Dr. Dharmapuri then pursued and completed his MA in clinical and social psychology at the New School School. After the completion of his MA in psychology, he returned to his home town of Chicago and spent several years working in the field of community mental health as a crisis intervention specialist, therapist and case manager.
Dr. Dharmapuri received his medical training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He was conferred his Doctorate of Medicine in 2014. He was a recipient of the Chancellors Award for Service and Leadership and was inducted as a fellow of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He completed his residency training in general adult psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center in 2016 and finished his fellowship and sub-specialty training in child and adolescent psychiatry in 2019. In his residency, he received awards for novel research, clinical care and service excellence. He also served as chief fellow during his child and adolescent psychiatry training.
Dr. Dharmapuri received a leadership award from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America for his involvement in medical education initiatives and his research interests in the neuro-biologic framework of mental. He also presented his original work on autism and mood disorders at the annual congress of the European Psychiatric Association.
“My work as an educator, therapist and physician has led me to view mental health as a complex interplay of biologic systems and psycho-social factors. Therefore, effective treatment should be based on an integrated and multidisciplinary approach that addresses the needs of the individual and family. I believe my role as a psychiatrist is to act as a steward of safety, confidant and active participant in the treatment of the people I serve. My experience has led me to understand excellence in medical and mental health as a result of patient-physician communication, and the commitment to a shared vision of achieving a better quality of life.”
