“… I became fascinated with the world of medicine and decided to dedicate myself to working on developing more effective treatment methodologies for people enduring the unique challenges that come with severe allergies and asthma-related conditions.”

Summit Shah MD is one of the most dynamic members of the Central Ohio community in which he lives and works, and his diverse skillset is the product of his years of experience as an allergist, entrepreneur, clinical researcher, and professor. In addition to his many professional roles — including, among many other things, his continued service as the owner and allergist at Premier Allergy in Columbus, Ohio — Dr. Shah is first and foremost a deeply dedicated husband and father who enjoys spending any time away from work in the company of his family.

BusinessInterviews.com: What inspired you to launch your business?

Dr. Shah: My parents were entrepreneurs and routinely encouraged me to pursue any entrepreneurial opportunities that even remotely intersected with my personal interests. After suffering from allergies and asthma-related issues while growing up, I became fascinated with the world of medicine and decided to dedicate myself to working on developing more effective treatment methodologies for people enduring the unique challenges that come with severe allergies and asthma-related conditions.

BusinessInterviews.com: What has been your biggest challenge as a business owner and how have you met that challenge?

Dr. Shah: Without a doubt, time management has been — and probably will always be — my greatest challenge as a business owner. I’m involved with so many different projects and have so many different responsibilities that balancing my schedule so that I am able to use my time in the most optimal way will continue to be a challenge, one that I am sure will remain every bit as complicated going forward.

After some early struggles with balancing my time between my diverse professional roles and responsibilities, I made the wise decision to enlist the help of some incredibly hard-working and intelligent people to assist me in managing my schedule in a way that enables me to focus on treating my patients at Premier Allergy while also continuing to work on critical research and other projects.

BusinessInterviews.com: Have you had any mentors or role models that have influenced you? Describe the impact.

Dr. Shah: Of course, and anyone who says they haven’t had any mentors or role models should really take a few moments to really engage in some deep, thoughtful reflection; I genuinely believe that no one is capable of achieving anything without some form of help or support offered by role models, mentors, and so many others.

Over the years I’ve benefited from the opportunity to learn from and work alongside some of the leading experts in medicine, especially in the fields of asthma, food allergies, and allergic disease. The time I spent completing my fellowship at the Scripps Clinic – Scripps Green Hospital was perhaps the most influential and impactful learning experience of my career.

BusinessInterviews.com: Do you consider yourself successful and by what means do you measure success?

Dr. Shah: I imagine that all medical professionals judge their success based on the patient outcomes they are able to achieve through their practice as well as the contributions or advances they’ve made in their individual field of medical expertise. Judging through those particular lenses, I do consider myself an especially successful professional.

My practice, Premier Allergy, has served the Central Ohio community quite well over the years, and we are proud to offer our assistance and expertise to our patients whenever they find themselves in need. As a professor and researcher, I believe I’ve played an important role in advancing our understanding of allergic disease, severe allergies, and asthma while also preparing the next generation of doctors as they begin a career in the field of medicine.