Undergrad Institution; Degree and Major:
Emory College, BA, Economics
Medical School:
Emory University School of Medicine, MD
In practice since:
2016
Your Specialty:
Anesthesiology/Interventional Pain Management
Where and for how many years did you train AFTER medical school:
Harvard University- Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA for 5 years
How did you choose your specialty?
I liked the immediacy and urgency of anesthesiology, I can diagnose a problem, test my hypothesis and treat the patient all within minutes. Additionally, my background in business and economics led me to choose a field where efficiency and workflow management is part of the clinical responsibility. Anesthesia was the perfect blend of both. I then chose to subspecialize in interventional pain management because I wanted the autonomy to practice medicine outside of the operating room without having to rely on a surgeon to utilize my skillset.
What do you like MOST, and like LEAST, about your specialty?
I like the constant challenges and the fast decisions that determine a patient’s outcome. I appreciate that it is an evolving field with innumerable safety advances but there is still so much more to be advanced and innovators are highly valued in anesthesia. I dislike the fact that many patients and physicians do not fully understand my profession. So I spend a lot of time re-educating patients who present to my practice expecting to receive narcotics about the dangers of the drugs.
In your opinion, what attributes are important in anyone choosing this specialty?
Decisive, calm under pressure, team-oriented. However, the field is vast so a variety of personalities can excel. There is obstetric anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, cardiac anesthesia, ICU anesthesia, neuro-anesthesia, pain management and peri-operative medicine. Many personality types thrive in this field.
Hobbies/special interests:
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Entrepreneurship, racquetball, volunteerism.