MEET THE PROFESSIONAL
January 2017
Ramona Ataya-Dakour, MD
Dr. Ataya-Dakour is a Pediatrician in Beaumont, Texas and together with her husband Dr. Ramzi Dakour they have their own practice, Greater Beaumont Pediatrics and Family Medicine. Dr. Ataya-Dakour has been featured frequently on local news discussing the importance of vaccines and other issues impacting the health and well-being of children and adolescents. She also teaches 3rd year medical students from the University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston during their pediatric clinical rotations.
Dr. Ataya-Dakour is a very active member of our community and supporter of professional networking and mentoring program. We are very excited to feature her as our first professional in our “Meet the Professional” series.
Below are a few questions to help facilitate this interactive connection. At the end of the page you will have an opportunity to post your own questions for Dr. Ataya-Dakour.
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Describe your current Occupation & Degree/s and Universities.
- Graduated with a Finance degree BBA at the McCombs school of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.
- Attended Medical School at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
- Pediatric Residency at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
A list of any awards/recognitions:
- Best Pediatrician in Beaumont 2015
Discuss a moment or turning point in your life that led you to your career path:
I always knew I wanted to take care of kids in some way. I grew up watching my dad work as a pediatrician. He loved his job, you could see it in the way he woke up every morning excited to go to work. He would take me with him to work and to the hospital and I got to understand a little of what he did. His patients loved him and still do. I wanted to do something that I could enjoy as much as my dad did. He never told me to become a doctor but in watching him I fell in love with what he did and from then on I knew I wanted to be a pediatrician and form the same kind of connections with my patients and their families as my dad did. I loved the idea of watching my patients grow up into adults.
Discuss a role model or mentor who influenced your career choice:
My dad as mentioned above.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
I see myself continuing to work as a pediatrician in a flourishing practice and working as a hard working mother.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
You have to love it! If you love it and you are hungry for it as my dad would say, you can be whatever you want to be. To be a medical doctor takes hard work and determination. It’s a life of continued education. You never stop studying and learning. It’s a very humbling job.
Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of your field:
When I’m not working, I am spending quality time with my son and husband. I enjoy the outdoors, traveling, sports and spending time with the family.
A Q&A form will be uploaded shortly. In the meantime feel free to send any questions you would like to ask Dr. Ataya-Dakour to admin@network1017.com
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