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Pediatrician Spotlight on Piper Sandel, MD, MPH, FAAP
Pediatrician Spotlight is a segment in Coastal Currents highlighting one of AAP-CA3’s Outstanding Chapter Members or programs.
Piper Sandel earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency and a fellowship in Community Pediatrics and Child Health Advocacy at Georgetown University. She earned her Master’s in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is board certified in both general pediatrics and breastfeeding medicine. She is an associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego in the Section on Academic General Pediatrics. She serves as a school health consultant to several school districts in San Diego and the surrounding area.
Get to know Dr. Sandel by reading her pediatrician spotlight!
AAP-CA3: What is your current job/professional responsibilities?
Dr. Sandel: I am an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at UCSD, providing general pediatrics and breastfeeding medicine patient care and teaching residents and medical students at the UCSD Academic General Pediatrics clinic. I also serve as a physician consultant to several local school districts and get to work with schools on district health policy and ensuring students with medical needs have the appropriate accommodations and environment to be safe and healthy at school to access their education. I am the faculty lead for the UCSD pediatric residency program’s community pediatrics rotation which is a 4-week rotation designed for residents to explore the core principles of community and public health by getting out in the community volunteering, learning, and working with local organizations to familiarize themselves with our community, learn tools for how to advocate for their patients, and familiarize themselves with resources available to the patients they serve.
AAP-CA3: How did you first get involved in the AAP?
Dr. Sandel: I joined the AAP as a resident member when I was a pediatrics intern. I remember being inspired by a presentation I attended as a resident on the history of AAP and all the great work done by the organization over the years on behalf of children. I enjoyed the local resident resources, and I was in a great place (Washington DC!) to have my first chance to participate in advocacy with the AAP.
AAP-CA3: Why should pediatricians join the AAP and their AAP Chapter?
Dr. Sandel: Joining your local AAP chapter and participating in member events and serving on committees are great ways to connect with other physicians and child health advocates, access resources, stay up to date on developments in pediatrics, and advocate for children as part of a larger more impactful group.
AAP-CA3: What is your current role in the AAP-CA3 chapter?
Dr. Sandel: I am a Chapter 3 representative to the AAP-CA State Government Affairs (SGA) Committee and a member of the AAP-CA3 School Health Committee. As part of the school health committee, I help to plan the annual school health conference, and as part of SGA I am able to work with AAP members across the state on legislative advocacy with the chapter.
AAP-CA3: What do you enjoy most about being a chapter member?
Dr. Sandel: I appreciate the opportunity to connect and collaborate with physicians and AAP team members in and outside of my specialty across San Diego and the state and especially advocating for children at the AAP-CA Advocacy Day. It was a wonderful experience to come together with the other AAP-CA chapters in Sacramento for the advocacy day and be able to help represent our chapter these last two years.
AAP-CA3: How does the chapter support your passion?
Dr. Sandel: The chapter fosters a collaborative approach to addressing and supporting child health issues and I love that it brings AAP members together to strengthen our voices. Through the School Health Committee, I have gotten to help bring updates to local pediatricians and school nurses on one of my favorite topics, school health, and learn from other experts in the field. I also appreciate that the chapter works so hard to invite and encourage resident participation and I am able to connect the residents to various chapter activities while they participate in their community pediatrics rotation.
AAP-CA3: Did you have a mentor who influenced you to become the physician that you are now?
Dr. Sandel: Too many to list! I am grateful to the many wonderful pediatricians I learned from in training and all my colleagues that I continue to learn from every day in my current role. I’m lucky to work with a team of pediatricians that support each other and value teaching and learning- I’m always inspired by the work that they do. A special thank you to Dr. Howard Taras for mentoring me in my school health role. I have learned so much from Dr. Taras about collaborating with local school districts on helping students stay healthy and safe at school in the least restrictive environment.
AAP-CA3: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Dr. Sandel: The best is spending time with my family including my kids and husband. Our three kids keep us busy! I also love to read (hoping to hit 100 books again this year), exercise, and be active including ice skating, running, hiking, and rollerblading.