About Sima Maraqa, M.D.

Sima Maraqa, M.D., specializes in endocrinology at Oklahoma Heart Institute (OHI) and is fluent in speaking Arabic.

“I consider myself fortunate to have discovered my passion for endocrinology very early. As a matter-of-fact endocrinology was my first ever clinical rotation during medical school. I still remember enthusiastically telling the endocrinologist I was rounding with that I want to become an endocrinologist too! He smiled and told me, “Smart people usually do! But this is your first clinical rotation. You might change your mind by the time you graduate.” Although a lot of things have changed indeed, but my passion for endocrinology has only kept growing ever since,” Dr. Maraqa said.

She goes on to add that, “It has been very fulfilling knowing that I could change someone’s lifestyle for the better. I just love that endocrinology gives us the ability to completely change someone’s life. We can help patients, who might have otherwise suffered greatly, live a long, healthy life, giving them the opportunity to watch their children grow, and be with them throughout the different stages of their lives. I really do feel so blessed that I am able to do this job. After all, is there anything more precious to give someone than the gift of life?”

When asked what inspired her to go into medicine, Dr. Maraqa said, “Nothing has ever got me fascinated as learning about the human body, it’s just a continuous learning journey that gets you amazed and inspired every single day. Figuring out this part about the body was easy but what really made me confident about going into medicine was when I volunteered at a cancer center, I understood that patients do not want a physician who looks at them as cases, they want to be seen collectively as human beings with aspirations and fears.”

Dr. Maraqa values the individual relationships with each of her patients and does her best to give everyone the time they deserve. She said, “To me, every patient is a unique case. I find it extremely difficult to employ a one size fits all approach that is often followed in the medical field. I usually tend to let them know that dealing with chronic diseases like diabetes is hard, no doubt! But that’s why I am here to help you through this journey.”

Outside of work, Dr. Maraqa said she enjoys hiking and gardening. She adds, “although there’s no guarantee my plants will live long enough to tell everyone what a wonderful plant mom I am. Hopefully one day I’ll be successful in taking care of them as I do my patients.”

Specialty

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Languages

Arabic, English