Undergrad Institution; Degree and Major:
Amherst College – Bachelor of Arts.
History. 1997
Medical School:
Wake Forest University School of Medicine. 2003
Where and for how many years did you train AFTER medical school:
Residency in Internal Medicine:
Northwestern Memorial Hospital – Chicago, IL
2003-2006
Fellowship in Endocrinology:
Emory University School of Medicine
2006-2008
In practice since:
2008
Your Specialty:
Endocrinology
How did you choose your specialty?
I wanted to work with adult patients of varying ages, in a primarily outpatient setting practicing subspecialty internal medicine, and I was not overly interested in procedures. I was drawn to endocrinology because I enjoyed the physiology, the age-range of patients, the variety of medical conditions, and the people I met in the endocrine field.
What do you like MOST, and like LEAST, about your specialty?
Like MOST:
I enjoy the subspecialty aspect of internal medicine, and I love the physiology of endocrinology. Some patients have chronic conditions such as diabetes that require long-term care, whereas some other endocrine disorders can be treated and potentially cured, such as Graves’ Disease or some adrenal and pituitary conditions. I enjoy the primarily outpatient nature of endocrinology, though I do enjoy the relatively small amount of hospital work that I do. Endocrinology is also fairly objective in many ways, in that blood and urine tests are often used to clearly diagnose and treat many conditions. Though sometimes the practice of endocrinology can require working long hours at times, the majority of the time it does allow me to have a work-life balance that I enjoy. I also very much enjoy my other endocrine colleagues, who are generally great people who seem to enjoy what we do.
Like LEAST:
Not sure. I would definitely choose my field again.
In your opinion, what attributes are important in anyone choosing this specialty?
Endocrinology offers the chance to practice subspecialty internal medicine in a primarily outpatient setting. Much of the diagnosis and treatment depends upon lab results. It is not a procedure-heavy field. It does offer the opportunity for a good work-life balance if you choose. It offers the opportunity for long-term care for some patients, such as our patients with diabetes, whereas other patients may only need to see us for one or two visits.
Our most frequently-treated disorders are: diabetes, thyroid conditions including thyroid cancer, osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases, and pituitary and adrenal disorders. We also see young adults transitioning from the pediatric endocrine clinic.
If you enjoy primarily outpatient medicine in a subspecialty setting, and you are not interested in doing a lot of procedures, then it is a great field to consider.
Though I do not practice pediatric endocrinology, I think it is a great field for those pursuing pediatrics to consider. My pediatric endocrine colleagues seem to enjoy their work very much, and it can be quite a rewarding career helping children with endocrine disorders.
Hobbies/special interests:
Spending time with family
Sports. Baseball. Golf.
Music.
Going to the symphony.
Going to rock concerts
Exercise
Travel