Shams Karimi, MD

As a little girl, Shams Karimi, M.D., remembers volunteering with her mom at a children's health services organization. "I grew up in a community where volunteering and serving others was a daily norm," she said.

Her first inspiration to pursue medicine came from her childhood value to make herself useful to those in need. "It was important to me to pursue a career that was of service to humanity," she said. Later in life, while interning at an Obstetrics/Gynecology department, Dr. Karimi connected the dots that her passion has always been in serving children. "I found myself naturally taking care of the babies I delivered," she said. "That is when I knew that I was meant to pursue pediatrics."

Dr. Karimi joined Cook Children's Physician Network in 1996 and has practiced for over 23 years. She received her medical degree from Sind Medical College and completed her residency program as the Chief Resident at Baylor Scott & White Hospital Temple Texas. She was an instructor and Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University prior to pursuing a fellowship at Charleston University of South Carolina.

With decades of experience, Dr. Karimi is naturally inclined to care for children's unique needs. "It's a blessing for me to witness all stages of human development on a daily basis," she said. "Over the years, I've had the privilege to be part of the lives of my patients and see them grow into responsible healthy individuals - I'm honored and thankful to the families for trusting me and my team with their precious children," she said.

Dr. Karimi has a son who is currently in medical school and a very supportive, loving husband. The trio enjoys traveling and exploring new vacation destinations. When she has time to herself, Dr. Karimi enjoys cooking and meditating. As a lifelong volunteer, she supports the Aga Khan Foundation which works to sustainably uplift vulnerable communities around the world.