Alexandra Kharazi, MD

About Alexandra Kharazi, MD

Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.

My parents originally immigrated from the Ukraine in 1991. I was six years old. We initially settled in LA but fell in love with San Diego when we visited for the first time. As a kid I was captivated by the picturesque beaches with the sea otters on La Jolla Cove. I loved Sea World and Balboa Park! My parents enjoyed the break from LA traffic and described San Diego as a “breath of fresh air.” It quickly became our favorite vacation destination. I was thrilled when I got accepted to UC San Diego for college! Serendipitously, my dad also got a job offer in San Diego around the same time, and they moved to Del Mar! Years later, after I finished medical school and surgical training, I longed to come home. New York was fun, but I missed the warm California winters and laid-back lifestyle. I returned every chance I got. I had a baby girl at the end of my cardiothoracic surgery fellowship. I wanted her to experience the magic of San Diego growing up. Imagine my joy when I got a job offer in San Diego! I was lucky enough to join CVTS Medical and begin my practice as a cardiothoracic surgeon in 2019. Now, my husband and I live in Mission Valley with our little girl, Harper, who is four! She gets to spend much time with my parents, who have settled in Rancho Santa Fe.

Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?

I am a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, author of the book “The Heart of Fear,” and founder and CEO of Heart of Motivation Consulting. As a surgeon in private practice, I operate at 5 different hospitals in the San Diego area. What I love most is serving a very diverse population spanning many cultural and personal backgrounds.

Q: What advice would you give to people?

I serve a diverse community throughout San Diego, providing care to people facing a wide spectrum of life challenges. However, the difficulties we encounter when we are dealing with illness are universal. They connect us all. Even though having a heart attack and needing a heart operation may seem like an insurmountable challenge, it can be viewed as ascending a spiral staircase. Even though illness may feel like we are going in circles, in fact, the trajectory is often positive, and overcoming the illness means climbing the staircase. This allows us to face new challenges from a higher, more advanced perspective. For example, after heart surgery, people are much more informed about all aspects of their health, setting them on the path to a longer, healthier life!

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?

I love fixing people’s hearts! The fulfillment it brings to see someone in my office doing well after a successful operation is indescribable. However, I want to broaden my impact beyond the operating room and connect with a wider audience! As CEO and Founder of Heart of Motivation Consulting, I want to make health education and knowledge more accessible to more people. Having partnered with Sharp Healthcare for opportunities Valve Seminar has sparked my passion for community outreach and patient education. I have since spoken to multiple media outlets about heart health, with the goal of empowering anyone, regardless of medical background, to take charge of their health.

Alexandra Kharazi, MD & Our Community

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?

The Superbloom Café at the Mission Bay Beach Club. It’s quintessential San Diego, a quick stop off the 5 freeway. It’s an outdoor café with amazing coffee and healthy snacks and juices. My daughter and I like to go after I pick her up from school and eat our snacks overlooking the bay. The ocean view is spectacular, especially around sunset. When the sun goes down, the bistro lights come on! The best part? There’s a playground right next to the café. My daughter plays on the giant stone turtle while I take off my socks and dip my feet in the sand while I enjoy my coffee and the ocean air. Next, I must mention Tropical Fruits in Chula Vista. I work at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and learned about this place from the locals. They don’t advertise well. In fact, you might pass it by if you aren’t looking for it! My first time visiting, I talked to the young woman at the cash register. She told me the restaurant had been in the family for multiple generations! While the ambiance takes you back to the 90s, the food was some of the best I have had in San Diego. I have been back multiple times! I also love supporting local small businesses!

Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?

A cumulative time of about 10 years!

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?

I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Pilialoha Estall. We met at the Superbloom Café for coffee. We connected when she read my book, “The Heart of Fear,” which explores the mindset of people in high-risk, high-stress careers. Pilialoha is a 4th generation Coronadan and ran for Coronado City Council. Holding a degree in environmental science, she has been instrumental in multiple environmental protection initiatives. In addition to all this, she has her own PR agency! What drew me to her was her infectious energy and desire to make a positive impact on her community!

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?

La Jolla Cove is home to The Living Room, which was a favorite study spot of mine! During my college days, I used to bring my books (I am dating myself here, no laptop at that time!) and study at The Living Room before my shifts working as a hostess and server at Jay’s Gourmet. The overstuffed chairs, colorful walls, and ornate furniture reminded me of Alice and Wonderland. I recently took my daughter there to enjoy the Nutella crepes. “You’ve here before?” Harper asks. “I’ve been coming here since before I was your mom,” I tell her. “This place has been here since you were just Alex?!” She asks me incredulously. I laugh. She’s not wrong, but I had never thought of it that way.

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?

The community in San Diego offers diversity in numerous ways, fostering a freedom of expression not often found in other parts of the country. Living in San Diego encourages a mindset shift due to the blend of lifestyle, climate, and diversity, creating a distinctive environment. I call this shift “flipping your feelings,” which refers to the transformation of negative thoughts into positive experiences.

Q: If you could choose anyone alive today and not a relative, with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?

Martha Dennis. I read about her in The San Diego Union-Tribune and was so inspired by her story. She was a pioneer in tech in the 1970s, a time when that was essentially unprecedented for women. And then she built an empire. Do you think she likes  In-N-Out ?

For Fun

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?

Frozen, Encanto and the Octonauts. Clearly, my 4 year old is the boss of the TV!

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?

I am a skydiver with over 200 skydives, including night jumps and high-altitude jumps. My favorite skydive was a Puerto Rico woman’s record skydive in 2012. My experience as a skydiver made me a better surgeon and taught me lessons that are applicable to any goal. For example, in skydiving, deployment refers to throwing out a pilot chute, which opens the closing pin and opens the main container, releasing the main parachute. This can be applied to any goal. It’s the first step necessary to achieve the desired outcome. For example, say your goal is to buy a house. What can you do to deploy? You can reach out to a real estate agent. You can go to an open house. It’s one small task to get you one step closer to your ultimate destination.

Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?

Saving a life! One of my most memorable experiences was when an 18-year-old boy was brought to the hospital after a cardiac arrest and I put him on ECMO, which is a machine that performs the function of the heart and lungs when someone is in multi-system organ failure. In his case, the prognosis was very poor; however, nearly a month later, he woke up. He now does outreach work in the community.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?

My parents, who moved from Ukraine to a new country without family or friends so I could have a better life, gave me a unique definition of privilege. For example, my upbringing has shown me that humility is a sign of strength, which reflects intrinsic value. However, I recognize that everyone has their own distinct criteria for defining privilege. For me, the ability to work has always been a form of privilege, and giving back to my community through my work is how I define it.

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?

Parks-San Diego is full of beautiful parks, and we spend more time outdoors than indoors! Coffee shops- Where I prefer to catch up on writing- and you never know who you will meet! Airport on the beach- looking out the window on the final approach after a long flight, I always think, I am home!