What attracted you to critical care internal medicine?
I love internal medicine, but found during residency that I didn’t share that same enthusiasm for the outpatient setting. Critical care is often the setting for the initial presentation of new diseases, and the diagnostic process is one of my favorite pieces of medicine. I also really enjoy physiology and procedures, so critical care internal medicine seemed like the perfect way to let me focus on the parts of medicine that I like. The fast pace and the continuous flow of puzzling cases and new things to learn keep me engaged and enthusiastic.
Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for fellowship training?
I came to Mayo Clinic for my internal medicine residency, after doing my medical school elsewhere. I was attracted initially because it was closer to home for me, but also because of the fantastic training reputation that Mayo has. After being in Rochester for residency, I was thrilled to be able to stay and further my training here. Mayo has a humble, collaborative culture which I think is great for patient care and makes it easy to be a learner. Because subspecialties across both inpatient and outpatient settings are all integrated in one system, it makes communication and coordination of care very easy, and as a trainee, allows me to discuss patients and learn directly from subspecialists in other fields.
What is it like living in Rochester, Minnesota?
I’ve lived here for four years now. Training in a smaller city like Rochester is a huge time saver — my commute is only 5-10 minutes, and the necessary things in life like groceries and errands don’t take nearly as much time as they would in a major city. During training, time is precious and this maximizes my free time. Rochester is affordable as well, and many options exist for both rental and home ownership that are realistic within a trainee budget. My husband and I bought and renovated our first house in 2017, which would not have been possible for us in more expensive regions. I’m a little bit of a foodie, and there are a lot of good dining options in the area. Some people who come here are worried about the winter, but Minnesota winters are actually really sunny. Both summer and winter offer great outdoor activities including skiing, hiking, camping, and boating, so there are plenty of ways to rejuvenate and enjoy southern Minnesota outside of work.
What are the strengths of the fellowship program?
One of the advantages of this program is how customizable it is. There are multiple clinical rotation options that can be used to tailor your training to your areas of interest, including options like ECMO, transfusion medicine, palliative care, echocardiography, and more. Aside from clinical work, there are opportunities in many areas of research, quality improvement, and education that let you build your resume with projects and experience that reflect your ultimate career goals. The biggest strengths of the program and the institution as a whole are the amazing people and collaborative culture here. In keeping with that, the program leadership is very dedicated to the trainees in the program, and are very approachable and responsive to feedback.