Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Ramos.
Hi Lydia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I decided to pursue a career in medicine in my ’20s, having been influenced by people in my life who struggled with mental illness. My father has been the largest influence in my life, as he was not diagnosed with Autism until age 48 – but once receiving an accurate diagnosis and treatment, he steadily improved over time. He had comorbid mood and anxiety issues that caused him significant distress, and subsequently developed a problem abusing alcohol, but once in treatment he was able to understand himself better and learn better ways of thinking and coping through years of counseling under his psychologist. Receiving medications from his psychiatric providers over the years has also been much needed and very helpful for him. I have also known family members with Bipolar Disorder and I myself had previous episodes of depression in adolescence. These influences combined with innate curiosity for how the human mind works, empathy, and a strong desire to join a helping profession led me to psychiatry. Even though I applied to medical school I decided to take a different course and pursue Physician Associate (PA) school instead. This was in part due to me losing by my brother in 2012, the same year I was applying to medical school. Having lost my brother caused me to pause and rethink my perspective on factors like student loan debt and the amount of work I would be taking on as a physician as opposed to a PA – with there being higher rates of burnout, suicide and divorce amongst physicians in comparison to PAs. I was also already in my late ’20s, and wanted to start a family relatively soon, so medical school was becoming a less appealing prospect.
Getting into PA school was a significant achievement – because my undergraduate degree were in Political Science and Psychology – I had to go back to school as a post-baccalaureate student to get the science prerequisites required. The courses needed for medical school did not perfectly overlap for PA school, so I still had additional courses to take for PA school after pivoting and deciding to not pursue medical school. I also had to take the GRE exam, having already scored well on the MCAT for medical school, since the GRE is required for PA programs. I was working two jobs, often 10-15 days straight without a break, with little pay, and no health insurance, for most of my ’20s after college. To say this was difficult is an understatement. It was a trying time in many ways, but I got through it.
Once I started attending PA school I continued to apply my passion and work ethic to diligently learn everything I needed to know to be a competent PA. The medical education PAs receive is similar to the medical model medical students receive in their educational programs, and I was required to rotate through many similar fields of medicine alongside medical students.
After I graduated PA school I moved to California from my home state of North Carolina, where my boyfriend and later fiance was at the time, whom I had met in PA school, for us to start a life with each other. Shortly after we were engaged and later married. During my 3.5 years in California I worked at a community mental health clinic in the Bay Area of California where I was exposed to a high volume of many people suffering from serious chronic mental illness, with conditions like Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder. I of course also treated many cases of depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma and other rare conditions like somatoform disorders and various personality disorders, in addition to many cases of comorbid substance abuse.
In 2020 I moved back to North Carolina with my husband shortly after we had our first baby boy. I wanted to be closer to my home, to my community, and raise my family near my parents. Community mental health employment opportunities were sparse at the time, so I entered into private practice psychiatry. Since 2020 I have worked for various employers in the Triangle area of NC, learning more along the way. Having already applied myself in California to earn a Psychiatry CAQ (a national certification for Psychiatric medicine for PAs), I continued to expand my knowledge and was trained under ADHD experts. I also have acquired a National Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) certification. For years I was studying pediatric psychiatry on my own and looking for a mentor through one of my employers, and did not find one until 2022.
Ultimately, I decided to start my own practice Oasis Mental Wellness in July 2024. Having learned for years about the business aspect of medicine and realizing I could have more autonomy over my schedule while still providing well for my family, I decided as a mother this was a good fit for me. I now have 3 kids under the age of 6, including a precious 6-month-old baby, and having more flexibility with my schedule is a must for me and my family. I also love wearing the creative hat as a business owner and getting to make all kinds of decisions about various things including branding, marketing, administrative tasks, billing/credentialing, and all the other aspects of running a business.
Most importantly, though, I realized that my heart was in the right place. I knew no matter what I would continue to work in mental health because it is my calling. Helping people like my father, like other people I have known, and treating people with the utmost compassion and respect for their autonomy, while providing personalized, holistic and expert psychiatric care is what I am dedicated to doing for the rest of my career. Now, I am just choosing to do it through my own practice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some of the largest struggles as a PA have been working for employers and feeling burnt out due to not being appreciated, being overworked and underpaid. At the community mental health clinic where I worked at for 3.5 years, I learned about a year into the job that as a government employee I was automatically enrolled into a union and there was a union contract that specified I was an hourly employee, not salary – which meant that the medical director who initially hired me misinformed me verbally and in writing. I had been working overtime for the first 6 months of the job – I basically worked every day for 6 months – due to how short-staffed they were. As a new grad PA my schedule was flooded with new patient intakes and I was doing everything I could to keep up to make sure I was providing the best care to patients who often had complex histories and presentations. I also learned there was a sign-on retention bonus that was part of my contract that had not been paid to me, or for that matter, any PAs or Nurse Practitioners, of my employer, for years. I sought union representation and ultimately did receive the sign on bonus years later, but I was never compensated for the overtime even though the EHR logs showed I was working all the days I said I was. Other private practice employers in the Triangle Area of NC, though I am grateful for each and every opportunity, left more to be desired in terms of scheduling and pay. Some also had either toxic work environments or a high-volume, profit-focused culture, which does not work well with my treatment approach and philosophy.
Coming to the conclusion that I would continue to face these same realities in the job market and that the only way to carve out a different future for me and my family that would meet our goals would be by taking the risk to open a business for myself, was a hard decision to come to. For years I had ambivalence, did research, and then finally decided to make the next move. Even then, I did not leave my employer right away. I started out my practice part-time and only recently as of October 2025, left my employer and have been devoted full-time to my practice.
We’ve been impressed with Oasis Mental Wellness, PLLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Oasis Mental Wellness, PLLC is a mental health practice that has been in business since July 2024. I own the practice and partner with psychiatrist Dr. Sandra Lare who provides expert consultation for difficult cases.
Treating ages 5+, I really enjoy treating the whole lifespan from kids through older adults. Services include psychiatry services – comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, medication management, brief supportive psychotherapy, genetic testing, and referrals to other needed services as appropriate. Appointments are offered via telehealth and in person at 2 locations – 1 location near the charming village district of Holly Springs, NC and the other location in Cary, NC near the WakeMed Hospital. Treatment is affordable as this practice takes insurance – Medicare, Tricare, BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare and Medcost.
I specialize in Autism and ADHD. I have extensive experience with Autism due to my experience with my father having Autism, my experience working for years with individuals who had neurodevelopmental conditions prior to PA school, and years’ experience diagnosing and treating individuals with Autism. I also love ADHD and have become an expert of treating this condition over the years, in part due to mentorship and my interest in neurodevelopmental conditions. I also offer Perinatal Mental health treatment which is worth highlighting because many practices do not have psychiatric providers especially trained in Perinatal Mental Health.
Even beyond specializing in Autism, ADHD and Perinatal Mental health is my focus on pediatrics. There is a shortage of psychiatric providers who treat kids and youth, and this is a patient population I have such a heart for. I was thrilled to find Dr. Lare who has been treating kids through adults for more than 25 years, as this is a significant part of what I offer at Oasis Mental Wellness.
My approach is personalized and highly respectful of patient autonomy. I take the time to get to know my clients and am very responsive to their concerns. My goal in upcoming years is to hire more providers and mentor them and help encourage their growth and empowerment, as I believe that provider satisfaction has a positive influence on the care that patients receive.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I have grown up in the Raleigh/Durham area since I was a young child. I am completely biased, but I think there are so many things to love about the area. This is a wonderful area for schools, including higher education, an affordable place to raise a family, and there is plenty of entertainment and things to do for both indoor and outdoor activities. Located close to the beach and the mountains is a big plus, not to mention the four seasons we experience. Having lived in the Bay Area of California for years, I realized I missed the four seasons we experience in North Carolina.
What I like least about the city is hard for me to say. Home is where the heart is and my husband, kids, parents and other family are here. Having lived in bigger cities, there are some forms of entertainment and fine dining that are lacking in comparison, but this does not bother me. The Triangle Area is my home and I am excited to be a business owner and medical provider in this area and to get to raise my children where I grew up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oasis-mw.com/
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/_F3qECNyk0rQzWWMGGvt7Q and https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/HPTxnaVJlxDXWvWLbkeyKw
