Patel was a
pre-registration house officer at the
Manchester Royal Infirmary and
senior house officer at
Leeds General Infirmary and
Wythenshawe Hospital. Patel has cited her mother as her inspiration for studying medicine and was inspired to become a nephrologist due to early childhood experiences of witnessing her uncle from Zambia with diabetes and
kidney failure having
dialysis at home. In 2003, while a
specialty registrar, the
Wellcome Trust funded her PhD which was awarded in 2006 in Manchester for her research into the genetics of
lupus nephritis. Patel became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2011. The following year, she became postgraduate associate dean in the north-west. Patel obtained an MSc in Medical Education in 2014. From 2016 to 2020, she was the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board's Clinical Quality Lead. Patel has been the
University of Liverpool School of Medicine's director of progress and conduct since 2018. From 2020 to 2023 Patel served as the RCP's global vice president. Patel was elected the RCP's senior censor and vice president for education and training in April 2023. She received "The Outstanding Leader Award" at the
EMMS International's Global Women in Healthcare Awards in 2024. In the same year, following the resignation of the then RCP president
Sarah Clarke in June, Patel was appointed acting president. The King's Fund conducted an independent learning review into the RCP's extraordinary general meeting in March 2024 on physician associates and found that there was a "pervasive lack of trust and confidence in the College's governance", "a lack of due process" in conduct of the members' survey, inability of the college to "listen and respond effectively to member issues", and "broader cultural and behaviour issues". As acting president, she accepted in full the findings and vowed to improve. Patel was elected the RCP's president by fellows in April 2025 with 2,239 votes out of 5,151 on a turnout of 36.3%. She is the first woman of Indian origin and first Muslim to hold the role. ==Selected publications==