Meet Setareh Hafezi, M.D. –
Hayward Obstetrics and Gynecology

“Sometimes when you think you’re going down the wrong path you actually end up at your destination” – Dr. Hafezi

Setareh Hafezi was born in Iran and immigrated to the United States with her mother when she was nine years old. After the 1978 Iranian Revolution, the country became a theocracy and an extremely difficult place for many people to live. Under harsh circumstances, she left the country, with her mother, in 1987.

Dr. Hafezi moved to San Jose, CA and didn’t speak a word of English. In addition, her middle school did not offer an official English as a Second Language program. However, this challenging circumstance did not stop Dr. Hafezi from learning the language and integrating into American culture. She enjoyed interacting with people, and was fascinated with science. With these combined interests, she decided to become a physician.

Dr. Hafezi attended Santa Clara University where she majored in combined sciences (which included studies in biology, chemistry and psychology) and minored in Spanish. In order to immerse herself in the Spanish culture and language, Dr. Hafezi decided to attend Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. She says, “I consider myself to be a Californian, and because we have such a large Hispanic population, there is a huge need for Spanish-speaking health care providers. I wanted to serve this population and be able to communicate effectively with my patients.”

During her specialty rotations, Dr. Hafezi discovered her passion for obstetrics and gynecology. She knew within the first week of the Ob/Gyn rotation that it was the specialty she wanted to practice. “I really liked the idea that Ob/Gyn was both a primary care and specialty field of medicine,” she said. Dr. Hafezi specifically remembers a time when she was delivering a baby alongside another physician and the mother had been a baby whom that physician had delivered over 20 years ago. At that moment, it clicked for her. It was for this potential trust and longevity in physician-patient relationships that inspired Dr. Hafezi to pursue a career in obstetrics/gynecology.

In addition to developing intimate patient/physician relationships in Ob/Gyn, Dr. Hafezi is passionate about the opportunities for patient education. She explains, “We don’t receive much education about our bodies and, in certain cultures, it isn’t something that is discussed at all. I love educating my patients in terms that they can understand and empowering them to take better care of themselves.”

Upon completing her residency at University of California, San Francisco in Fresno, Dr. Hafezi knew that she wanted to practice in the Bay Area. She didn’t want to work in a single specialty, Ob/Gyn office, but in a larger entity that offered many different services. Bay Valley Medical Group was an established organization with a mission to provide compassionate care, and in a diverse environment. Dr. Hafezi was attracted to this opportunity and happy to join the BVMG team.

Dr. Hafezi currently lives in Fremont with her fiancé, a psychiatrist, and their two dogs. The couple enjoys traveling, spending time with their family, playing badminton and planning their wedding, which is scheduled for May.

Dr. Hafezi practices Gynecology and Obstetrics at Bay Valley Medical Group, which offers multi-specialty services. Dr. Hafezi is located at the office in Hayward (510) 785-5000.