Ananya Ray, M.D.

My name is Anaya Ray. I’m a pediatrician at Children’s Physicians at Creighton University.

What attracted you to pediatrics at Children’s?

I’ve always loved interacting with kids. Growing up, I did a little volunteer work with children as well. When I was in medical school, I always found myself drawn to my pediatric patients. I think the thing that draws me to it the most is being able to be an advocate for people who can’t always advocate for themselves. And just being able to be a constant presence in a child’s life and watch them really grow up.

What’s your approach to treating patients?

My role as a family’s pediatrician is to be their source of unbiased information. It’s not to tell patients or parents what to do, or to make decisions for them. But it’s a way for me to tell them what information is out there so we can make that decision together to do what’s best for their kids. Especially in this day and age, there’s a lot of information out there on social media and on the internet. And it’s hard, especially as first time parents to know what to read, what to trust, and who to believe.

How do you build trust with patients and families?

Trust is so important. The most important thing in building trust is time and communication. Being able to communicate with the parents to tell them this is why I recommend what I recommend. This helps parents understand the reasoning behind the things that we do and helps them understand and trust us as a healthcare provider.

What would you want patients and their families to know about you?

I always tell parents that I don’t yet have kids of my own. But the really exciting part for me about being a pediatrician is that I get to treat every kid that I see like my own. Especially, when you’re meeting first-time parents and as you build a relationship with them, you get to share in their joys, share in their triumphs, and share in their concerns as well. That’s the nice thing about being a pediatrician – you get to watch a kid grow up and take part in all of that and all the joy that comes along with it.