LaSara Bell, PGY-1

Hi, I’m LaSara. I was born and raised in Metro Atlanta. I am a Grady baby which means I was born at Grady Memorial Hospital. I grew up for most of my life inside the perimeter in Decatur, GA. I am the oldest and have a younger brother. I am married and have two children; my son is 1 years old, and my daughter is 3 years old. My husband and I purchased the home I grew up in and did a complete renovation and now we are raising our kids in the same community that raised me. My mom and grandmother live 10 mins away and I love being able to allow my kids to experience the blessing of having grandparents that live close to us.

I am a non-traditional student. I attended medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia Campus many years after graduating from undergrad at the University of Georgia (UGA). After graduating from UGA, I did a postbaccalaureate program at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, and got a Master of Science in Health Science. The program allowed me to explore the city of Brotherly Love, make my application to medical school more competitive and increase my MCAT score. After graduation, I worked as a clinical research coordinator in the private sector to find novel treatments for psychiatric illnesses such as Schizophrenia, MDD and bipolar disorder. I later transitioned to the VA Medical Center and managed clinical trials aimed to find innovative treatments for PTSD and military sexual trauma. Working with patients with mental health illness solidified my decision to pursue a career as a psychiatrist.

I started medical school knowing I was called to pursue the field of Psychiatry. While in medical school I was highly involved on campus. As a first-generation college graduate and a person from an underrepresented in medicine group, I was passionate about advancing diversity, equity and inclusion on my campus. I was the president of the Student National Medical Association and spearheaded a panel that helped students learn to address microaggressions in the workplace as a healthcare provider. Advocacy and health policy is another passion, so I was the State advocacy captain at the American Medical Association Medical Student Advocacy conference. I coordinated state congressional meetings at the United States Capitol for medical students representing Georgia. Serving as the primary point of contact for Georgia medical students, I established an efficient strategy for students to engage policymakers and garner support for our legislation. Lastly, I served as a mentor to students at my alma mater UGA who were interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

I completed a sub-internship at Emory during my fourth year of medical school and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The patient population at Grady, which is the largest safety net hospital in Metro Atlanta, was aligned with my goals to serve underserved communities. The interns I worked with were caring, kind and collaborative. The Grady chiefs were very supportive, helpful and served as a great resource during my rotation. I honestly felt like a member of the team and could envision myself working alongside them in the future. In addition, Emory provided unlimited resources to explore my interest in Psychiatry. I am interested in learning about a few different subspecialties within the field of Psychiatry and there was an elective option for all my interests! Lastly and most importantly, I wanted to stay in Atlanta because my family and support system is here. Being able to train and serve patients in the hospital I was born in is truly a great honor!

I am currently on the Internal Medicine service at Grady.

6:00am - Wake up and morning routine, which includes stealthily moving through my house, so I don’t wake my family.

6:35am - Communte to Grady. I live 15 minutes away from the hospital, so my commute is a breeze. However, shift change is at 7:00am so everyone is coming into the parking garage for the day shift at this time, so it takes an extra five minutes to find a good parking spot.

7:00am - Get to the physician work room and receive sign out from the night team. Start pre-charting on my patients. 

8:30am - Pre-round on my patients (I typically carry ± six patients on my panel). Speak with nursing about overnight events. Message case management and social work about potential discharges.

9:30am-12:15pm - Round with attending and team. Put in orders. Follow up with case managers and social workers about placement and resources for patients. See new patients. Prep notes.

12:30pm - Noon Conference. I always enjoy the topics discussed during conference. Anytime I have questions I feel safe enough to speak up. Sometimes there is free food which is always a bonus.

1:30pm - Put in discharge orders. Complete notes. Order nighttime labs. Check in with patients I am concerned about for reassessments. 

6:00-7:00pm - Prepare sign out for the night team. Go home. Side Note: On days I do not have new admits I typically can get done earlier.

7:15-9:00pm - I listen to a podcast or audiobook on my drive home. Get in the house and immediately change out of my scrubs. Love on my family. Have dinner. Bedtime routine for the kids.

9:00-10:30pm - Read up on topics that came up during the day. Gratitude journal. Bible study with my husband.

10:30-11:00pm - Nighttime routine and bedtime

I live in Decatur. It’s a familiar neighborhood to me because its where I grew up. I am 15 minutes from Grady where most of our rotations PGY-1 year are located. I am 15-20 minutes from the VA and Emory Decatur where other rotations are located. I love Decatur because I can get almost anywhere in the Metro-Atlanta area within 30 minutes or less, which is good considering Atlanta traffic.

My family and I love going for bike rides or walks on the Beltline. I like exploring new restaurants around the city. I keep a list of restaurants I need to go to in my notes section on my phone so I can always be ready! I also love to be out in nature and hike. There are beautiful trails, mountains, waterfalls and wineries in North Georgia, which is about an hour from the city that make for great day trips.

Always remember you made it this far for a reason. You are intelligent and deserving of the success you have worked so hard to achieve. Be very particular about what you want in a residency program. Make sure the programs’ aims and mission align with your personal and professional goals. Take every opportunity to visit in person with the programs. This will allow you to assess the culture, location and PDs/APDs. As much as the program is interviewing you, you are also interviewing them so make sure you ask every question you have so you can make an informed decision. Lastly, talk to interns and senior residents about their experience.