As a child of physician parents, I was “born into medicine” and saw the joy patients and families experienced.
My personal decision to pursue medicine started shaping when, in 9th grade, suddenly bald patches started appearing on my scalp.
It was a traumatic experience for me as a teenager.
I was diagnosed with alopecia areata, and at that time, it didn’t come along with a lot of treatment options.
My dermatologist was very compassionate, and after one to two years of consistent treatment, I was thankfully healed.
It’s that feeling of utter vulnerability and knowing that someone can help you in that moment that inspired me to become a doctor.
“It’s that feeling of utter vulnerability and knowing that someone can help you in that moment that inspired me to become a doctor.”
I practiced primary care full time after residency and delighted in caring for adults with chronic medical diseases. It was during this time that I also recognized my love for caring for the aging population.
I then completed my fellowship in Geriatrics, which is my current primary field of practice.
For me, the practice of medicine is about compassion and healing. However, it hasn’t always been easy.
In our fragmented system, I experienced moral injury and burnout, which led me to coaching.
In addition to my medical practice, I work with healthcare workers to help them continue to sustain that initial spark of joy and advocate for themselves and their patients.
