Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanique Ampiah.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey to becoming a psychiatrist began in Jamaica, where a bright-eyed three-year-old version of me met a pediatrician named Dr. Riley. I still remember the moment he let me listen to my heartbeat through his stethoscope. He had no idea he was essentially handing me my life’s mission—but that tiny act sparked a dream I never let go of.
My parents, despite humble beginnings, instilled in me the values of hard work, perseverance, and resilience. Becoming the first college graduate (Go Tar Heels!)—and the first physician—in my family is something I hold with deep gratitude. I didn’t get here alone; faith and family carried me farther than I could have imagined.
Although I was born in Jamaica, I grew up in South Florida from age eight. As the oldest of four, I spent my days juggling homework and babysitting. I protested the babysitting part loudly and often, but in hindsight, caring for two very energetic little brothers was likely my unofficial introduction to triage. My mom and stepdad may not have known every step of the journey to medicine, but they imbued in me a spirt of perseverance and resilience, and they did everything they could to support my ambition. That support led me to a pre-medical magnet high school where I spent countless hours volunteering in hospitals and shadowing pediatricians—anything that allowed me to live and breathe medicine.
As a high school senior, I was overjoyed to be accepted to my dream school, UNC–Chapel Hill. My path felt perfectly laid out. I majored in psychology with minors in biology and chemistry and felt certain I was on my way to medical school. Then came my first hurdle: I wasn’t accepted on my first application cycle. What felt like a setback soon revealed itself as divine redirection. During my gap year, I completed a Master’s in Molecular Medicine at USF and learned about the American University of the Caribbean (AUC). Once accepted, I was back on track—confident I was destined to become a pediatrician… or so I thought.
Medical school at AUC was a truly international experience. I spent my first two years on the island of St. Maarten, then moved to London, England for third-year clinical rotations before completing my final year in New York. Third year exposes students to every specialty, helping us refine our future direction. I was sure pediatrics would be my favorite specialty—after all, it had been the dream since childhood. But reality had other plans. While I enjoyed pediatrics, I quickly realized how emotionally difficult it was for me to care for severely ill children.
Then came another twist of fate: my very last rotation was psychiatry. I had always loved psychology and the science of the brain, but I had never seriously considered psychiatry as a career. That changed on day one. I witnessed a woman in acute psychosis stabilize within minutes of treatment; soon after, she sat calmly with me, sharing the cascade of stressors that led her there. It felt like another “Dr. Riley moment”—a clear, unexpected calling. Psychiatry blended everything I cared about: science, story, connection, and healing. It was also easy to pair with my passion for working with children, which naturally led me toward child and adolescent psychiatry. Another unexpected gift of AUC’s international training was my time in London—where I met my wonderful husband. Looking back, the disappointment of not getting into medical school on my first attempt pales in comparison to the love and family that grew from that detour. For that reason alone, the setback was more than worth it.
After medical school, we moved to Louisiana, where I completed my general psychiatry residency at LSU OLOL and my child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Tulane. Upon graduating in 2019, I accepted my first attending position at Baptist Behavioral Health which led me back to my home state of Florida and the beautiful city of Jacksonville.
In 2023, I took a leap of faith and founded Paramount Wellness Collaborative—my private psychiatric practice centered on compassionate and evidence-based psychiatric care.
The road to my “MD” was anything but straight, but every twist brought clarity, resilience, and deep gratitude.
I am currently a solo practitioner with plans to expand my team in the coming years by adding therapists to provide comprehensive care under one roof. As a double-boarded adult and child & adolescent psychiatrist, my practice focuses strongly on maternal and child mental health because I believe healthy moms build healthy families. I take a thoughtful, conservative approach to treatment—prioritizing psychotherapy and behavioral strategies first and using medication only when clinically indicated. Collaboration is central to my work, and I welcome communication with pediatricians, PCPs, therapists, teachers, and other members of a patient’s care team.
I am in-network with United, Aetna, and Cigna, with Florida Blue expected to join in early 2026.
When I’m not in the office, I’m spending time with my family—grateful that my winding, wonderful journey brought me exactly where I’m meant to be.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I am a woman of faith, and while the road has been anything but smooth, every “setback” proved to be a divine “setup” guiding me exactly where I was meant to be. Not getting into medical school on my first attempt felt devastating in the moment, yet it led me back to Florida to complete my master’s degree—where I discovered AUC, the school where I ultimately earned my MD.
AUC’s curriculum provided a world-class medical education and opened doors to global training experiences. It also brought me to Europe, where I met my now husband—another beautiful twist of fate. When I returned to the U.S., I was equipped with strong clinical training and competitive board scores, which ultimately led to me securing residency and fellowship at my #1 choice for training programs- LSU and Tulane!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Paramount Wellness Collaborative, Inc ?
In 2023, I took a leap of faith and founded Paramount Wellness Collaborative—my private psychiatric practice centered on compassionate and evidence-based psychiatric care.
I am currently a solo practitioner with plans to expand my team in the coming years by adding therapists to provide comprehensive care under one roof. As a double-boarded adult and child & adolescent psychiatrist, my practice focuses strongly on maternal and child mental health because I believe healthy moms are integral to building healthy families. I treat everyone the way I would want my family member to be treated, I am nonjudgmental, approachable and take a thoughtful, conservative approach to treatment—prioritizing psychotherapy and behavioral strategies first, using medication only when clinically indicated. Collaboration is central to my work, and I welcome communication with pediatricians, PCPs, therapists, teachers, and other members of a patient’s care team.
I am in-network with United, Aetna, and Cigna, with becoming in network with Florida Blue expected in early 2026. My office is located in Bartram Park, very accessible to both St. Johns and Duval county residents. Hours are Mon- Thurs 9-4 pm and I am always just an email or phone call away to support my patients and their families.
How do you define success?
Success, for me, is loving the work I’m called to do, serving with purpose, and holding true to my integrity in every step of the journey.
Pricing:
- Insurance is accepted. For patients using out-of-network benefits, I am happy to provide a superbill to support reimbursement requests. Initial psychiatric evaluations (60–80 minutes) are $460, and 30-minute medication management follow-ups are $240.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paramountwc.com
