At 3-foot-7, this doctor stands tall at marathon

When WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB — you consider the total person, few people who took part in the Air Force Marathon on Saturday stood taller than Dr. Nadia Merchant.

And she’s 3-foot-7.

As she competed in the half-marathon — wearing a black cap and Nike head covering to adhere to her Muslin faith and taking short steps because of the rare genetic recessive condition that limits her height — the 31-year-old runner said she got some curious looks and a few questions from fellow competitors.

But that was nothing. Those same people really would do a double take if they saw what she does once she takes off those pink running shoes and puts on a white lab coat.

After completing her pediatric residency at Dayton Children’s Hospital and Wright State’s Boonshoft School of Medicine in 2014, she returned to her native Houston and now is completing her pediatric endocrine fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital there.

And she’s been something of a classroom marvel along the way. Thanks to an accelerated program, it took her just six years to complete both her undergrad degree and medical school.

A world traveler — who has done everything from getting her MD at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar to running a half-marathon in Sydney, Australia — she speaks numerous languages including Urdu and Hindi.