HOUSTON — When you’re home to the largest medical center in the country, “living large and in charge” should be a no-brainer for the doctors and their spouses running the halls. And the drama? Well hey, everything is bigger in Texas, so what do you expect?
Bravo TV has expanded the extremely successful Married to Medicine franchise to Houston, Texas, following five successful women navigating their lives in medicine, love, family and Houston’s social scene.
The cast of Married to Medicine Houston includes a group of dynamic women, including Dr. Ashandra Batiste, Dr. Erika Sato, Dr. Elly Pourasef, Rachel Suliburk, Dr. Monica Patel, along with supporting cast Cindi Rose and Pegah Pourasef.
It’s definitely hot in Houston, so will the women of Married to Medicine Houston bring the heat to the Bayou City? We caught up with Dr. Batiste, also known as “Shan” and she says “absolutely!”
“These Houston girls brought as much heat as they possibly could in all shapes, forms, levels, fire — you’ve got a little Tabasco, a little Louisiana ‘red dot,’ a little bit of everything to make this spicy,” Batiste said.
In typical “Boss Lady” and “Mommy” fashion, Batiste — who was at her daughter’s school — found a corner in the principal’s office and took time to speak candidly with NewsWithAttitude.com, not only about what we can expect from the show, but about motherhood and kicking down doors in Corporate America.
[Hear our full interview, more excerpts below.]
How do you feel about the show?
Batiste: When I tell you, I’m thrilled, I’m exhilarated and just a little nervous knowing that my face is going to be all over the nation. It’s like “whoa, wait,” but I’m like “let’s go, let’s do this, let’s make this happen!
How are you all different from the Married to Medicine women from Atlanta?
Batiste: The big things that sets us apart is our diversity. The cast truly is a picture of Houston. You have myself, who is African American, you have an Indian doctor, and Asian doctor, you have a Persian doctor. You have all these women who are minority women and all in the medical field and that right there, alone, sets us apart from everything.
The trailer shows Batiste telling another cast mate, “Don’t let the stilettos fool you, I will put on the Air Max and whip that …..”
Are you afraid of being stigmatized as another drama-filled diva?
Batiste: Most women have some sort of drama or diva nature, or whatever that we bring to the table. You push one of our buttons and we go off, you push 10 of our buttons and we go off. I am at the point of my life where it takes about nine of those buttons to be pushed before I go off. Every now and then I have to remind people, “Don’t think you can push me over and talk to me any kind of way, or think I can not cuss you up one side and down the other just because I have stilettos or this white coat on.” The way I got here is by being tenacious, and fierce and ferocious. I know what I want and I know what it takes to get it done.”
When it comes to motherhood and reality TV, are you afraid that there will be any pitfalls associated with your celebrity?
Batiste: I got this, and I’m a “tiger mom” too. My cubs are my cubs, they are my babies. I raise my kids, they are mine and I share them with y’all. Everybody has the privilege to learn about Logan and Avery. They are some amazing children and they have nothing to be ashamed of. I do believe they have nothing but great things to show other children. I teach them now “don’t let the negative opinions of others affect your walk.” This is favor, and favor ain’t always fair!
So who is the “top doc” on the show?
Batiste: There’s no shame in this at all, I do believe I’m the person who has to keep her life the most together because of all the moving parts is myself. That’s not being braggadocious, that’s just because if you put all the things I have to do in one day on a sheet of paper, and when you’re talking about two lives that I have to keep intact, and five employees and all the other things, ooh Lord, some of these women would fall apart!
How do you keep your social and professional lives separate?
Batiste: The reality of it is, even when I am not at work, I am still Dr. Batiste. I have to pick and choose where, with who and when my hair is truly let down, and it typically requires a passport.
Batiste has an impressive, diverse collegiate background. She attended both the University of Texas at Austin and the prestigious Howard University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
What is it like being the only African American cast member?
Batiste: I just knew someone was going to ask me that question and you just so happened to be the first one! I will say that, in all reality, the world is not made up of one color, so you need to know how to get along with everybody, and everybody needs to know how to get along with you. I love my blackness. I love, love, love being black! I love being a black female. I love everything about my race and my gender. I love it and I inhale it, however, a lot of these people don’t know much about black women. And the stuff that they know is so far off. I love being in a room and dispelling their prejudices and their misconceptions and all of that. I think it’s awesome! Being the only African American female, I do get to be in some rooms where me and my husband are the only black people, but that doesn’t bother me at all. My upbringing was very diverse.
What advice would you give to a woman in Corporate America?
Batiste: Don’t expect anything to be given to you. You have to take everything. Don’t expect to be loved by everybody because most successful, powerful women do not have a thousand friends. Women have to get over the comparisons of “well men get this and men get that,” well you’re right, which is why you have to be better at your job than them. You have to be willing to sacrifice, you have to be willing to not be liked.
Wrapping up let’s get to know a little bit more about Dr. Batiste with some quick hits! She gave us the following answers to our two-word questions.
Favorite food: Creole
Favorite restaurant: Ruth Chris
Charity: Alzheimer’s Association
Motherhood is…. LOVE
Marriage is…SEX
Love is…. GOD
Houston is…. Bad Ass
Dr. Batiste is…. A force to be reckoned with.
And there you have it, and we totally agree. Check our Dr. Batiste on this season of Married to Medicine Houston on Thursdays at 8/9 c.
Check out the trailer below:
