Rajvinder Sidhu joins Oaklawn Medical Group - Gastroenterology

MARSHALL – When he was 17, Rajvinder Sidhu admits that he was much like a lot of other teenagers – uncertain and questioning his life’s direction. But a conversation with a teacher and support from a sister changed that.

According to Sidhu, “I was thinking of going the business route” when a few words spoken by a humanities teacher at Ann Arbor Huron High School set the youth on an entirely different path. 

Sidhu’s aptitude for science had developed in his youth, but when the Ann Arbor teacher asked him what work interested him, he confessed his uncertainty. 

“One thing he told me was, ‘In business you help yourself, and in medicine you help the world,’” Sidhu said. “That struck me, and really made me want to do something for other people.”

As a result, Sidhu today is a gastroenterologist and is joining the Oaklawn Medical Group – Gastroenterology team.

Sidhu will work alongside Urvish K. Shah, M.D., and Lori A. Kopulos, PA-C, in Suite 3A of the Wright Medical Building at 215 E. Mansion St. Appointments may be scheduled by calling (269) 789-0025.

Sidhu was born in Richmond, Va., and at age 11 moved with his family to Michigan when his father took a position as an automotive engineer with Chrysler Corp., and his mother found an opportunity in small business with an Ann Arbor sandwich shop.

Sidhu isn’t the first physician in the family. For personal guidance regarding education in the medical field, Sidhu gives a great deal of credit to his elder sister by two years, Simar, who initially pursued training as a physician and now is an internal medicine hospitalist working in Tampa, Florida. 

“She was always a role model to me,” Sidhu said. She inspired me and definitely shaped my path. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.”

Sidhu earned a bachelor of science degree in physiology in 2009 from Michigan State University and went on to receive his medical degree in 2013 from the Ross University School of Medicine of Dominica, West Indies, graduating with honors.

Sidhu completed his residency in internal medicine in 2017 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, affiliated with the State University of New York at Buffalo, where in June he completed a fellowship in gastroenterology. Sidhu is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Sidhu’s wife of about two years, Naseeb, is a Canton, Michigan, native and a behavioral analyst who works primarily with autistic children.

“That’s selfless and noble work, and I really respect her for that,” Sidhu said. The couple recently moved from Buffalo, N.Y., and currently reside in Jackson County. 

In his spare time, Sidhu enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor activities such as biking, as well as watching and playing sports. 

“I’m a big Detroit and Michigan State sports fan,” he said. It’s an interest stemming from his days playing sports at Ann Arbor Huron High School.  

In conversation with Sidhu, it’s clear that his educational and personal ties to Michigan are vitally important to his life, which is why he has chosen to pursue his medical career in this state.

“The biggest factor is that my family is in Michigan, and my wife’s family is here,” he said. “My wife and I want  to be close to our families. Also, many of my friends from medical school and college are in the area.”

What’s more, Sidhu said he and his wife prefer the kind of community that Marshall seems to represent for so many Midwesterners.

“The people I met during my interview at Oaklawn are what attracted me to Marshall – and I had a great ‘vibe’ there,” he said. 

“This is a good location and a good fit for me,” he said. “I want to help people, and that’s what I want to do in Marshall. I want be able to provide them with as much optimal gastrointestinal and liver care as possible,” he said.