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Florida GI gets candid about imposter syndrome, insurers, starting a GI fellowship
Her first faculty position as assistant program director for the gastroenterology fellowship program at the University of Iowa offered some inspiration. “I loved teaching and working with trainees and knew I always wanted to remain in this realm,” Dr. Naveed said.
When she moved to Orlando to join AdventHealth, she noticed there was no gastroenterology training program. “I was strictly in private practice. Though I love working with patients, I constantly felt like something was missing. When the opportunity to start a fellowship program came, I was highly motivated to bring it to fruition.”
The AdventHealth fellowship is almost done with its inaugural year.
“Starting a fellowship at a new institution is a very challenging yet incredibly rewarding experience,” she said. In this Q&A, she discusses her strategies for dealing with insurance companies and imposter syndrome, and why she looks to her father as her role model in medicine.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Naveed: Gastroenterology is a rapidly evolving field which makes it incredibly fascinating. The initial draw was that I was always excited to learn about GI physiology and disease. I also was fortunate to train with amazing gastroenterologists during residency. I had great examples of strong and successful female GIs to look up to. Lastly, for the most part, gastroenterologists are all fairly laid back and have an interesting sense of humor.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Naveed: I love learning and teaching. As a program director, I am directly involved with fellows, residents, and students, but there are always additional enrichment opportunities beyond these interactions. I value teaching clinic medical assistants so they feel more confident and empowered in their work. I also try to educate my nurse practitioners. The best compliment at the end of a long day is that they learned something valuable.
Q: How do you stay current with advances in your field?
Dr. Naveed: Between my role as a physician and as an educator, I owe it to my patients and trainees to stay current with advances in the field. But of course, this is challenging, and at times it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. While reading journal articles and attending conferences are great ways to refresh one’s knowledge, the winner for me has been social media (specifically Twitter). It’s easy to find a “Tweetorial” on almost any topic. There are some excellent initiatives on Twitter such as Monday Night IBD, ACG Evidence-Based GI Doc, Scoping Sundays, and GI Journal Club where important articles, new treatment options, and challenging cases are discussed. Of course, I also learn a lot from my fellows and residents.
Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?
Dr. Naveed: Pushing past imposter syndrome, which is a feeling of self-doubt despite education, experience, and accomplishments. It is something many of us deal with. I’ve had to retire the notion that I am not experienced enough to achieve a particular career goal.
Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?
Dr. Naveed: It’s a challenge to not immediately say “yes” to every opportunity or project. It’s also difficult to learn to delegate. I am lucky to have a great team, and I have learned that delegating certain tasks or projects helps everyone grow. Also, if I say no to an opportunity, I still try to suggest another colleague or mentee who may be interested and/or a good fit.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Naveed: Pushback from insurance companies to approve medications or interventions is incredibly frustrating for myself and the patient. It is also incredibly time consuming and requires significant clinical bandwidth that could otherwise be used in other capacities. While not a solution, I at least try to make sure the patient is kept updated and understands causes of delay, and more importantly, what we are doing to address the issue. I have realized that it’s always preferable to empower the patient, rather than leave them uninformed, which can foster frustration and dissatisfaction.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Naveed: I have been blessed with many mentors at different points in my medical career that have greatly impacted and shaped my journey. During my fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), Nisa Kubiliun, MD, was not only a mentor, but also an incredible sponsor. She saw potential in me and encouraged involvement in activities critical for career advancement. Arjmand Mufti, MD, the former program director of the UTSW GI fellowship, is still always just a call away when I need advice regarding my GI fellowship program at AdventHealth. I also have mentors and sponsors within my own institution who invest time and energy into my success.
Q: Outside of teachers and mentors, who or what has had the strongest influence in your life?
Dr. Naveed: My father, who is also a physician, has had a profound influence on my personal and professional development. His own medical journey has been incredibly unique. He has practiced medicine internationally, trained and worked in a traditional academic setting, established a very successful private practice, and now has transitioned to running a hospital-based practice. He has seen it all (and he’s also a brilliant physician), and he is always able to talk me through any situation.
Q: What principles guide you?
Dr. Naveed: Treating my patients how I would want a physician to treat my family is central to my practice. Also, I try to approach any successes with gratitude, and likewise, be patient with inevitable failures. It can be challenging, but I try to find the lesson in every failed venture.
Q: What would you do differently if you had a chance?
Dr. Naveed: I have always had an interest in international medical missions but have yet to participate in one. I have previously passed on such opportunities, thinking it was not the right time, but in hindsight I wish I had taken the leap. I still hope to eventually accomplish this goal.
Q: Describe a scene of your vision for the future.
Dr. Naveed: I hope that our GI fellowship continues to flourish and attract exceptional faculty and candidates. I want to remain involved in graduate medical education, but I hope to continue to challenge myself and advance within this domain. Most importantly, I hope I can continue to balance my career aspirations with my personal goals. I want to continue to be present for my family and kids.
Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Naveed: You can usually find me at the local farmer’s market with my husband and kids. Afterwards, we’re definitely going to get Chick-fil-A followed by ice cream.
Lightning round
If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be?
International event planner.
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?
Usually three.
Favorite breakfast?
Eggs, corned beef hash, toast.
Texting or talking?
Texting always unless it’s Mom or Dad. They always get a call.
Place you most want to travel?
Japan.
Follow Dr. Naveed on Twitter at @MN_GIMD
Her first faculty position as assistant program director for the gastroenterology fellowship program at the University of Iowa offered some inspiration. “I loved teaching and working with trainees and knew I always wanted to remain in this realm,” Dr. Naveed said.
When she moved to Orlando to join AdventHealth, she noticed there was no gastroenterology training program. “I was strictly in private practice. Though I love working with patients, I constantly felt like something was missing. When the opportunity to start a fellowship program came, I was highly motivated to bring it to fruition.”
The AdventHealth fellowship is almost done with its inaugural year.
“Starting a fellowship at a new institution is a very challenging yet incredibly rewarding experience,” she said. In this Q&A, she discusses her strategies for dealing with insurance companies and imposter syndrome, and why she looks to her father as her role model in medicine.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Naveed: Gastroenterology is a rapidly evolving field which makes it incredibly fascinating. The initial draw was that I was always excited to learn about GI physiology and disease. I also was fortunate to train with amazing gastroenterologists during residency. I had great examples of strong and successful female GIs to look up to. Lastly, for the most part, gastroenterologists are all fairly laid back and have an interesting sense of humor.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Naveed: I love learning and teaching. As a program director, I am directly involved with fellows, residents, and students, but there are always additional enrichment opportunities beyond these interactions. I value teaching clinic medical assistants so they feel more confident and empowered in their work. I also try to educate my nurse practitioners. The best compliment at the end of a long day is that they learned something valuable.
Q: How do you stay current with advances in your field?
Dr. Naveed: Between my role as a physician and as an educator, I owe it to my patients and trainees to stay current with advances in the field. But of course, this is challenging, and at times it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. While reading journal articles and attending conferences are great ways to refresh one’s knowledge, the winner for me has been social media (specifically Twitter). It’s easy to find a “Tweetorial” on almost any topic. There are some excellent initiatives on Twitter such as Monday Night IBD, ACG Evidence-Based GI Doc, Scoping Sundays, and GI Journal Club where important articles, new treatment options, and challenging cases are discussed. Of course, I also learn a lot from my fellows and residents.
Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?
Dr. Naveed: Pushing past imposter syndrome, which is a feeling of self-doubt despite education, experience, and accomplishments. It is something many of us deal with. I’ve had to retire the notion that I am not experienced enough to achieve a particular career goal.
Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?
Dr. Naveed: It’s a challenge to not immediately say “yes” to every opportunity or project. It’s also difficult to learn to delegate. I am lucky to have a great team, and I have learned that delegating certain tasks or projects helps everyone grow. Also, if I say no to an opportunity, I still try to suggest another colleague or mentee who may be interested and/or a good fit.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Naveed: Pushback from insurance companies to approve medications or interventions is incredibly frustrating for myself and the patient. It is also incredibly time consuming and requires significant clinical bandwidth that could otherwise be used in other capacities. While not a solution, I at least try to make sure the patient is kept updated and understands causes of delay, and more importantly, what we are doing to address the issue. I have realized that it’s always preferable to empower the patient, rather than leave them uninformed, which can foster frustration and dissatisfaction.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Naveed: I have been blessed with many mentors at different points in my medical career that have greatly impacted and shaped my journey. During my fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), Nisa Kubiliun, MD, was not only a mentor, but also an incredible sponsor. She saw potential in me and encouraged involvement in activities critical for career advancement. Arjmand Mufti, MD, the former program director of the UTSW GI fellowship, is still always just a call away when I need advice regarding my GI fellowship program at AdventHealth. I also have mentors and sponsors within my own institution who invest time and energy into my success.
Q: Outside of teachers and mentors, who or what has had the strongest influence in your life?
Dr. Naveed: My father, who is also a physician, has had a profound influence on my personal and professional development. His own medical journey has been incredibly unique. He has practiced medicine internationally, trained and worked in a traditional academic setting, established a very successful private practice, and now has transitioned to running a hospital-based practice. He has seen it all (and he’s also a brilliant physician), and he is always able to talk me through any situation.
Q: What principles guide you?
Dr. Naveed: Treating my patients how I would want a physician to treat my family is central to my practice. Also, I try to approach any successes with gratitude, and likewise, be patient with inevitable failures. It can be challenging, but I try to find the lesson in every failed venture.
Q: What would you do differently if you had a chance?
Dr. Naveed: I have always had an interest in international medical missions but have yet to participate in one. I have previously passed on such opportunities, thinking it was not the right time, but in hindsight I wish I had taken the leap. I still hope to eventually accomplish this goal.
Q: Describe a scene of your vision for the future.
Dr. Naveed: I hope that our GI fellowship continues to flourish and attract exceptional faculty and candidates. I want to remain involved in graduate medical education, but I hope to continue to challenge myself and advance within this domain. Most importantly, I hope I can continue to balance my career aspirations with my personal goals. I want to continue to be present for my family and kids.
Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Naveed: You can usually find me at the local farmer’s market with my husband and kids. Afterwards, we’re definitely going to get Chick-fil-A followed by ice cream.
Lightning round
If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be?
International event planner.
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?
Usually three.
Favorite breakfast?
Eggs, corned beef hash, toast.
Texting or talking?
Texting always unless it’s Mom or Dad. They always get a call.
Place you most want to travel?
Japan.
Follow Dr. Naveed on Twitter at @MN_GIMD
Her first faculty position as assistant program director for the gastroenterology fellowship program at the University of Iowa offered some inspiration. “I loved teaching and working with trainees and knew I always wanted to remain in this realm,” Dr. Naveed said.
When she moved to Orlando to join AdventHealth, she noticed there was no gastroenterology training program. “I was strictly in private practice. Though I love working with patients, I constantly felt like something was missing. When the opportunity to start a fellowship program came, I was highly motivated to bring it to fruition.”
The AdventHealth fellowship is almost done with its inaugural year.
“Starting a fellowship at a new institution is a very challenging yet incredibly rewarding experience,” she said. In this Q&A, she discusses her strategies for dealing with insurance companies and imposter syndrome, and why she looks to her father as her role model in medicine.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Naveed: Gastroenterology is a rapidly evolving field which makes it incredibly fascinating. The initial draw was that I was always excited to learn about GI physiology and disease. I also was fortunate to train with amazing gastroenterologists during residency. I had great examples of strong and successful female GIs to look up to. Lastly, for the most part, gastroenterologists are all fairly laid back and have an interesting sense of humor.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Naveed: I love learning and teaching. As a program director, I am directly involved with fellows, residents, and students, but there are always additional enrichment opportunities beyond these interactions. I value teaching clinic medical assistants so they feel more confident and empowered in their work. I also try to educate my nurse practitioners. The best compliment at the end of a long day is that they learned something valuable.
Q: How do you stay current with advances in your field?
Dr. Naveed: Between my role as a physician and as an educator, I owe it to my patients and trainees to stay current with advances in the field. But of course, this is challenging, and at times it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. While reading journal articles and attending conferences are great ways to refresh one’s knowledge, the winner for me has been social media (specifically Twitter). It’s easy to find a “Tweetorial” on almost any topic. There are some excellent initiatives on Twitter such as Monday Night IBD, ACG Evidence-Based GI Doc, Scoping Sundays, and GI Journal Club where important articles, new treatment options, and challenging cases are discussed. Of course, I also learn a lot from my fellows and residents.
Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?
Dr. Naveed: Pushing past imposter syndrome, which is a feeling of self-doubt despite education, experience, and accomplishments. It is something many of us deal with. I’ve had to retire the notion that I am not experienced enough to achieve a particular career goal.
Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?
Dr. Naveed: It’s a challenge to not immediately say “yes” to every opportunity or project. It’s also difficult to learn to delegate. I am lucky to have a great team, and I have learned that delegating certain tasks or projects helps everyone grow. Also, if I say no to an opportunity, I still try to suggest another colleague or mentee who may be interested and/or a good fit.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Naveed: Pushback from insurance companies to approve medications or interventions is incredibly frustrating for myself and the patient. It is also incredibly time consuming and requires significant clinical bandwidth that could otherwise be used in other capacities. While not a solution, I at least try to make sure the patient is kept updated and understands causes of delay, and more importantly, what we are doing to address the issue. I have realized that it’s always preferable to empower the patient, rather than leave them uninformed, which can foster frustration and dissatisfaction.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Naveed: I have been blessed with many mentors at different points in my medical career that have greatly impacted and shaped my journey. During my fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), Nisa Kubiliun, MD, was not only a mentor, but also an incredible sponsor. She saw potential in me and encouraged involvement in activities critical for career advancement. Arjmand Mufti, MD, the former program director of the UTSW GI fellowship, is still always just a call away when I need advice regarding my GI fellowship program at AdventHealth. I also have mentors and sponsors within my own institution who invest time and energy into my success.
Q: Outside of teachers and mentors, who or what has had the strongest influence in your life?
Dr. Naveed: My father, who is also a physician, has had a profound influence on my personal and professional development. His own medical journey has been incredibly unique. He has practiced medicine internationally, trained and worked in a traditional academic setting, established a very successful private practice, and now has transitioned to running a hospital-based practice. He has seen it all (and he’s also a brilliant physician), and he is always able to talk me through any situation.
Q: What principles guide you?
Dr. Naveed: Treating my patients how I would want a physician to treat my family is central to my practice. Also, I try to approach any successes with gratitude, and likewise, be patient with inevitable failures. It can be challenging, but I try to find the lesson in every failed venture.
Q: What would you do differently if you had a chance?
Dr. Naveed: I have always had an interest in international medical missions but have yet to participate in one. I have previously passed on such opportunities, thinking it was not the right time, but in hindsight I wish I had taken the leap. I still hope to eventually accomplish this goal.
Q: Describe a scene of your vision for the future.
Dr. Naveed: I hope that our GI fellowship continues to flourish and attract exceptional faculty and candidates. I want to remain involved in graduate medical education, but I hope to continue to challenge myself and advance within this domain. Most importantly, I hope I can continue to balance my career aspirations with my personal goals. I want to continue to be present for my family and kids.
Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Naveed: You can usually find me at the local farmer’s market with my husband and kids. Afterwards, we’re definitely going to get Chick-fil-A followed by ice cream.
Lightning round
If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be?
International event planner.
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?
Usually three.
Favorite breakfast?
Eggs, corned beef hash, toast.
Texting or talking?
Texting always unless it’s Mom or Dad. They always get a call.
Place you most want to travel?
Japan.
Follow Dr. Naveed on Twitter at @MN_GIMD
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All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>Looking back on her career as a gastroenterologist, Mariam Naveed, MD, sees the gastroenterology fellowship program she created at AdventHealth in Orlando, Fla.</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage>295499</teaserImage> <teaser>“Starting a fellowship at a new institution is a very challenging yet incredibly rewarding experience.”</teaser> <title>Florida GI gets candid about imposter syndrome, insurers, starting a GI fellowship</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords> <keyword>Member spotlight</keyword> </keywords> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> <publicationData> <publicationCode>GIHOLD</publicationCode> <pubIssueName>January 2014</pubIssueName> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> <journalTitle/> <journalFullTitle/> <copyrightStatement/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term canonical="true">73428</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links> <link> <itemClass qcode="ninat:picture"/> <altRep contenttype="image/jpeg">images/24011e50.jpg</altRep> <description role="drol:caption">Dr. Mariam Naveed</description> <description role="drol:credit"/> </link> </links> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>Florida GI gets candid about imposter syndrome, insurers, starting a GI fellowship</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p><span class="tag metaDescription">Looking back on her career as a gastroenterologist, Mariam Naveed, MD, sees the gastroenterology fellowship program she created at AdventHealth in Orlando, Fla., as a pinnacle moment.</span> </p> <p>Her first faculty position as assistant program director for the gastroenterology fellowship program at the University of Iowa offered some inspiration. “I loved teaching and working with trainees and knew I always wanted to remain in this realm,” Dr. Naveed said.<br/><br/>When she moved to Orlando to join AdventHealth, she noticed there was no gastroenterology training program. “I was strictly in private practice. Though I love working with patients, I constantly felt like something was missing. When the opportunity to start a fellowship program came, I was highly motivated to bring it to fruition.” <br/><br/>[[{"fid":"295499","view_mode":"medstat_image_flush_left","fields":{"format":"medstat_image_flush_left","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dr. Mariam Naveed, program director, GI & Hepatology Fellowship, Adventhealth Orlando","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Dr. Mariam Naveed"},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-medstat_image_flush_left"}}]]The AdventHealth fellowship is almost done with its inaugural year. <br/><br/>“Starting a fellowship at a new institution is a very challenging yet incredibly rewarding experience,” she said. In this Q&A, she discusses her strategies for dealing with insurance companies and imposter syndrome, and why she looks to her father as her role model in medicine. <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Why did you choose GI? <br/><br/>Dr. Naveed:</strong> Gastroenterology is a rapidly evolving field which makes it incredibly fascinating. The initial draw was that I was always excited to learn about GI physiology and disease. I also was fortunate to train with amazing gastroenterologists during residency. I had great examples of strong and successful female GIs to look up to. Lastly, for the most part, gastroenterologists are all fairly laid back and have an interesting sense of humor.</p> <p><strong>Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice? </strong><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> I love learning and teaching. As a program director, I am directly involved with fellows, residents, and students, but there are always additional enrichment opportunities beyond these interactions. I value teaching clinic medical assistants so they feel more confident and empowered in their work. I also try to educate my nurse practitioners. The best compliment at the end of a long day is that they learned something valuable. </p> <p><strong>Q: How do you stay current with advances in your field?</strong><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> Between my role as a physician and as an educator, I owe it to my patients and trainees to stay current with advances in the field. But of course, this is challenging, and at times it feels like there are not enough hours in the day. While reading journal articles and attending conferences are great ways to refresh one’s knowledge, the winner for me has been social media (specifically Twitter). It’s easy to find a “Tweetorial” on almost any topic. There are some excellent initiatives on Twitter such as Monday Night IBD, ACG Evidence-Based GI Doc, Scoping Sundays, and GI Journal Club where important articles, new treatment options, and challenging cases are discussed. Of course, I also learn a lot from my fellows and residents. </p> <p><strong>Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?</strong><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> Pushing past imposter syndrome, which is a feeling of self-doubt despite education, experience, and accomplishments. It is something many of us deal with. I’ve had to retire the notion that I am not experienced enough to achieve a particular career goal. </p> <p><strong>Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?</strong> </p> <p><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> It’s a challenge to not immediately say “yes” to every opportunity or project. It’s also difficult to learn to delegate. I am lucky to have a great team, and I have learned that delegating certain tasks or projects helps everyone grow. Also, if I say no to an opportunity, I still try to suggest another colleague or mentee who may be interested and/or a good fit.<br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it. </strong> <br/><br/><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> Pushback from insurance companies to approve medications or interventions is incredibly frustrating for myself and the patient. It is also incredibly time consuming and requires significant clinical bandwidth that could otherwise be used in other capacities. While not a solution, I at least try to make sure the patient is kept updated and understands causes of delay, and more importantly, what we are doing to address the issue. I have realized that it’s always preferable to empower the patient, rather than leave them uninformed, which can foster frustration and dissatisfaction. </p> <p><strong>Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> I have been blessed with many mentors at different points in my medical career that have greatly impacted and shaped my journey. During my fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), Nisa Kubiliun, MD, was not only a mentor, but also an incredible sponsor. She saw potential in me and encouraged involvement in activities critical for career advancement. Arjmand Mufti, MD, the former program director of the UTSW GI fellowship, is still always just a call away when I need advice regarding my GI fellowship program at AdventHealth. I also have mentors and sponsors within my own institution who invest time and energy into my success. </p> <p><strong>Q: Outside of teachers and mentors, who or what has had the strongest influence in your life? </strong><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> My father, who is also a physician, has had a profound influence on my personal and professional development. His own medical journey has been incredibly unique. He has practiced medicine internationally, trained and worked in a traditional academic setting, established a very successful private practice, and now has transitioned to running a hospital-based practice. He has seen it all (and he’s also a brilliant physician), and he is always able to talk me through any situation.</p> <p><strong>Q: What principles guide you?</strong><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> Treating my patients how I would want a physician to treat my family is central to my practice. Also, I try to approach any successes with gratitude, and likewise, be patient with inevitable failures. It can be challenging, but I try to find the lesson in every failed venture.</p> <p><strong>Q: What would you do differently if you had a chance?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> I have always had an interest in international medical missions but have yet to participate in one. I have previously passed on such opportunities, thinking it was not the right time, but in hindsight I wish I had taken the leap. I still hope to eventually accomplish this goal. </p> <p><strong>Q: Describe a scene of your vision for the future.</strong><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> I hope that our GI fellowship continues to flourish and attract exceptional faculty and candidates. I want to remain involved in graduate medical education, but I hope to continue to challenge myself and advance within this domain. Most importantly, I hope I can continue to balance my career aspirations with my personal goals. I want to continue to be present for my family and kids. </p> <p><strong>Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon. </strong><strong>Dr. Naveed:</strong> You can usually find me at the local farmer’s market with my husband and kids. Afterwards, we’re definitely going to get Chick-fil-A followed by ice cream. </p> <p><strong>Lightning round </strong> <br/><br/><strong>If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be? </strong><br/><br/>International event planner. <br/><br/><strong>How many cups of coffee do you drink per day? </strong><br/><br/>Usually three.<br/><br/><strong>Favorite breakfast? </strong> <br/><br/>Eggs, corned beef hash, toast.<br/><br/><strong>Texting or talking? </strong> <br/><br/>Texting always unless it’s Mom or Dad. They always get a call. <br/><br/><strong>Place you most want to travel?</strong> <br/><br/>Japan. </p> <p> <em>Follow Dr. Naveed on Twitter at <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/mn_gimd?lang=en">@MN_GIMD</a></span></em> </p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
Launching an entirely virtual health care GI practice
that partners with health systems to offer GI care services throughout the country.
Dr. Arjal, who as a cofounder of Telebelly Health also serves as chief medical officer and president of the practice, previously served as vice president of Puget Sound Gastroenterology and practiced in the Seattle area for 13 years. He served as vice president of clinical affairs for Gastro Health, the nation’s second-largest gastroenterology group, which acquired the Puget Sound practice in 2019. But then in 2021, he founded Telebelly with Sheri Rudberg, MBA, JD, who serves as CEO of the business; Alex Brown, who leads product development; and Nakort Valles, who serves as the company’s chief technology officer.
Building a new business whose goal is to transform GI health care delivery has been his biggest challenge to date. “I am proud of Telebelly because its goals are goals we all share, which is to try to get people in the door and take good care of them,” Dr. Arjal said.
Through virtual care clinics like Telebelly Health, patients can see a provider who is affiliated with a practice, even if the provider is in another state provided he or she is licensed in the patient’s home state. Some states have passed legislation to permanently allow out-of-state physicians to practice telehealth in their state if they follow the state’s requirements. In some states, that may amount to accepting an out-of-state medical license or requiring out-of-state clinicians to pass an exam.
Telebelly Health has served thousands of patients since September when the practice was launched. “We are scaling pretty quickly and will be doubling the number of providers in the next couple of months,” Dr. Arjal said.
In this Q&A, he talks more about his new business venture and his vision for the future of medicine.
Question: Why did you choose GI?
Answer: I wanted to do something that was cognitive where I interacted with and really got to know patients. I also wanted to be a proceduralist. I never wanted to be a surgeon – I knew that wasn’t for me. I fell in love with GI the first year in med school. I thought the pathology was interesting, and what GIs did in the acute setting as well as the outpatient setting was compelling.
Q. What achievement are you most proud of?
A. Prior to Telebelly, I led a large regional GI group in a competitive marketplace. Now, with Telebelly, building a team with a vision to transform the space has been the biggest challenge I have taken on. It’s still a work in progress, but we’ve had a great start. Starting a company wasn’t easy. It was something that I didn’t know a lot about, so I had to take a fair bit of risk. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me at the beginning. It’s not something I’d ever done before, so I was testing myself. I am proud that we were able to launch the company and have successfully scaled it. It’s been more successful than I expected.
Q. Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
A. Access to care. I think it’s very hard to see somebody with GI expertise and it certainly got worse during the pandemic. In my previous role, we used advanced practice providers. We tried to implement technology, sometimes effectively, sometimes not. But in general, we wanted to try to increase the supply of providers and compress these patient journeys to get people in the door. But that’s still a very difficult challenge we’re all trying to solve.
Q. What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
A. I would say two: James Trotter, MD, a hepatologist at the University of Colorado where I trained. He had a terrific impact in the sense that he was 100% focused on patients and got to know them as people. This taught me what it meant to be a clinician that was sort of a humanist. He cared so much for his patients that I still think about what Jim would do in a room today, 15 years after I finished my fellowship.
When I started my first job at Puget Sound Gastroenterology in the Seattle area, Robin Sloane, MD, was one of the senior partners of the group. I had a lot to learn after finishing fellowship. He was wonderful and gracious and really taught me a ton about the practical aspects of medicine. I felt this was an extension of my training in that he was a real clinician who really cared deeply for his patients. If I hadn’t met those two, my career and maybe my view of just what I did day-to-day would be different. They were both very, very impactful for me.
Q. Outside of teachers and mentors, who has had the strongest influence on your life?
A. Two people: my mother and my wife. My mother was a single parent and we were immigrants to the country. She was an ambitious woman who didn’t let anything stop her. I certainly learned a ton about resilience, work ethic. She’s somebody who always treated people well. My wife also supported and believed in me, and without her, I would not have had the courage to start a company.
Q. Describe a scene of your vision for the future.
A. I think we need to change our mindset in terms of how we interact with patients. I think there’s going to be a lot of clinical testing that is performed away from the physician’s office. It’s going to become more democratized and more decentralized. And I think in the future, patients will have more agency in how they interact with the system. I think artificial intelligence will potentially augment all of this as well. We’ll have patients who are more engaged, have more choice and easier access to expert care. They’ll come in with more information on their hands and they won’t have to wait as long. I think the wait times to get to a GI clinic now are way too long.
What I’d also like to see are providers spending more time doing things that they’re trained to do rather than documentation, summarizing data, and dealing with administrative headaches. I think almost everybody has that goal, but I think that’s achievable.
I want providers to have an iron man or iron woman suit when they see a patient, to have more data at their fingertips, to spend more time with the patients and have smarter visits.
Q. What did you fear most early in your career?
A. Failure for the most part, and comfort. For a long time, I wanted to start a company and change the space. Fear of failure has been ingrained in me and I think that’s true for a lot of physicians. I had always been a perfectionist.
Q. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A. Seeing patients is by far the thing I enjoy most. I don’t love documenting or digging up information, but I like getting to know folks. In general, I’m a social person and my outpatient clinic gives me the most joy, probably more than anything else.
Q. How do you stay current with advances in your field?
A. I’m curious about all new things, so I stay current through traditional means: I go to conferences regularly, I take postgraduate courses, I listen to podcasts, talk to colleagues, and read journals on a regular basis. But there are a lot of adjacent sources I pay attention to as well, such as nonmedical journals and nonmedical podcasts. I talk to folks outside the space and try to learn from them as well.
Q. What habits have you established that have benefited your career?
A. I do the same thing every day before my clinic days or my endoscopy days. I make reading a part of each day so I can slow down and be more present. Every day I try not to perform just what I do workwise, but I try to find some balance either with my family, or through exercise. I think I’ve been pretty good at separating work life from personal life.
Lightning round questions
Texting or talking? Talking.
Favorite junk food? Peanut butter M&Ms.
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day? Three.
If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be? Venture capitalist.
Introvert or extrovert? Both.
that partners with health systems to offer GI care services throughout the country.
Dr. Arjal, who as a cofounder of Telebelly Health also serves as chief medical officer and president of the practice, previously served as vice president of Puget Sound Gastroenterology and practiced in the Seattle area for 13 years. He served as vice president of clinical affairs for Gastro Health, the nation’s second-largest gastroenterology group, which acquired the Puget Sound practice in 2019. But then in 2021, he founded Telebelly with Sheri Rudberg, MBA, JD, who serves as CEO of the business; Alex Brown, who leads product development; and Nakort Valles, who serves as the company’s chief technology officer.
Building a new business whose goal is to transform GI health care delivery has been his biggest challenge to date. “I am proud of Telebelly because its goals are goals we all share, which is to try to get people in the door and take good care of them,” Dr. Arjal said.
Through virtual care clinics like Telebelly Health, patients can see a provider who is affiliated with a practice, even if the provider is in another state provided he or she is licensed in the patient’s home state. Some states have passed legislation to permanently allow out-of-state physicians to practice telehealth in their state if they follow the state’s requirements. In some states, that may amount to accepting an out-of-state medical license or requiring out-of-state clinicians to pass an exam.
Telebelly Health has served thousands of patients since September when the practice was launched. “We are scaling pretty quickly and will be doubling the number of providers in the next couple of months,” Dr. Arjal said.
In this Q&A, he talks more about his new business venture and his vision for the future of medicine.
Question: Why did you choose GI?
Answer: I wanted to do something that was cognitive where I interacted with and really got to know patients. I also wanted to be a proceduralist. I never wanted to be a surgeon – I knew that wasn’t for me. I fell in love with GI the first year in med school. I thought the pathology was interesting, and what GIs did in the acute setting as well as the outpatient setting was compelling.
Q. What achievement are you most proud of?
A. Prior to Telebelly, I led a large regional GI group in a competitive marketplace. Now, with Telebelly, building a team with a vision to transform the space has been the biggest challenge I have taken on. It’s still a work in progress, but we’ve had a great start. Starting a company wasn’t easy. It was something that I didn’t know a lot about, so I had to take a fair bit of risk. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me at the beginning. It’s not something I’d ever done before, so I was testing myself. I am proud that we were able to launch the company and have successfully scaled it. It’s been more successful than I expected.
Q. Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
A. Access to care. I think it’s very hard to see somebody with GI expertise and it certainly got worse during the pandemic. In my previous role, we used advanced practice providers. We tried to implement technology, sometimes effectively, sometimes not. But in general, we wanted to try to increase the supply of providers and compress these patient journeys to get people in the door. But that’s still a very difficult challenge we’re all trying to solve.
Q. What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
A. I would say two: James Trotter, MD, a hepatologist at the University of Colorado where I trained. He had a terrific impact in the sense that he was 100% focused on patients and got to know them as people. This taught me what it meant to be a clinician that was sort of a humanist. He cared so much for his patients that I still think about what Jim would do in a room today, 15 years after I finished my fellowship.
When I started my first job at Puget Sound Gastroenterology in the Seattle area, Robin Sloane, MD, was one of the senior partners of the group. I had a lot to learn after finishing fellowship. He was wonderful and gracious and really taught me a ton about the practical aspects of medicine. I felt this was an extension of my training in that he was a real clinician who really cared deeply for his patients. If I hadn’t met those two, my career and maybe my view of just what I did day-to-day would be different. They were both very, very impactful for me.
Q. Outside of teachers and mentors, who has had the strongest influence on your life?
A. Two people: my mother and my wife. My mother was a single parent and we were immigrants to the country. She was an ambitious woman who didn’t let anything stop her. I certainly learned a ton about resilience, work ethic. She’s somebody who always treated people well. My wife also supported and believed in me, and without her, I would not have had the courage to start a company.
Q. Describe a scene of your vision for the future.
A. I think we need to change our mindset in terms of how we interact with patients. I think there’s going to be a lot of clinical testing that is performed away from the physician’s office. It’s going to become more democratized and more decentralized. And I think in the future, patients will have more agency in how they interact with the system. I think artificial intelligence will potentially augment all of this as well. We’ll have patients who are more engaged, have more choice and easier access to expert care. They’ll come in with more information on their hands and they won’t have to wait as long. I think the wait times to get to a GI clinic now are way too long.
What I’d also like to see are providers spending more time doing things that they’re trained to do rather than documentation, summarizing data, and dealing with administrative headaches. I think almost everybody has that goal, but I think that’s achievable.
I want providers to have an iron man or iron woman suit when they see a patient, to have more data at their fingertips, to spend more time with the patients and have smarter visits.
Q. What did you fear most early in your career?
A. Failure for the most part, and comfort. For a long time, I wanted to start a company and change the space. Fear of failure has been ingrained in me and I think that’s true for a lot of physicians. I had always been a perfectionist.
Q. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A. Seeing patients is by far the thing I enjoy most. I don’t love documenting or digging up information, but I like getting to know folks. In general, I’m a social person and my outpatient clinic gives me the most joy, probably more than anything else.
Q. How do you stay current with advances in your field?
A. I’m curious about all new things, so I stay current through traditional means: I go to conferences regularly, I take postgraduate courses, I listen to podcasts, talk to colleagues, and read journals on a regular basis. But there are a lot of adjacent sources I pay attention to as well, such as nonmedical journals and nonmedical podcasts. I talk to folks outside the space and try to learn from them as well.
Q. What habits have you established that have benefited your career?
A. I do the same thing every day before my clinic days or my endoscopy days. I make reading a part of each day so I can slow down and be more present. Every day I try not to perform just what I do workwise, but I try to find some balance either with my family, or through exercise. I think I’ve been pretty good at separating work life from personal life.
Lightning round questions
Texting or talking? Talking.
Favorite junk food? Peanut butter M&Ms.
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day? Three.
If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be? Venture capitalist.
Introvert or extrovert? Both.
that partners with health systems to offer GI care services throughout the country.
Dr. Arjal, who as a cofounder of Telebelly Health also serves as chief medical officer and president of the practice, previously served as vice president of Puget Sound Gastroenterology and practiced in the Seattle area for 13 years. He served as vice president of clinical affairs for Gastro Health, the nation’s second-largest gastroenterology group, which acquired the Puget Sound practice in 2019. But then in 2021, he founded Telebelly with Sheri Rudberg, MBA, JD, who serves as CEO of the business; Alex Brown, who leads product development; and Nakort Valles, who serves as the company’s chief technology officer.
Building a new business whose goal is to transform GI health care delivery has been his biggest challenge to date. “I am proud of Telebelly because its goals are goals we all share, which is to try to get people in the door and take good care of them,” Dr. Arjal said.
Through virtual care clinics like Telebelly Health, patients can see a provider who is affiliated with a practice, even if the provider is in another state provided he or she is licensed in the patient’s home state. Some states have passed legislation to permanently allow out-of-state physicians to practice telehealth in their state if they follow the state’s requirements. In some states, that may amount to accepting an out-of-state medical license or requiring out-of-state clinicians to pass an exam.
Telebelly Health has served thousands of patients since September when the practice was launched. “We are scaling pretty quickly and will be doubling the number of providers in the next couple of months,” Dr. Arjal said.
In this Q&A, he talks more about his new business venture and his vision for the future of medicine.
Question: Why did you choose GI?
Answer: I wanted to do something that was cognitive where I interacted with and really got to know patients. I also wanted to be a proceduralist. I never wanted to be a surgeon – I knew that wasn’t for me. I fell in love with GI the first year in med school. I thought the pathology was interesting, and what GIs did in the acute setting as well as the outpatient setting was compelling.
Q. What achievement are you most proud of?
A. Prior to Telebelly, I led a large regional GI group in a competitive marketplace. Now, with Telebelly, building a team with a vision to transform the space has been the biggest challenge I have taken on. It’s still a work in progress, but we’ve had a great start. Starting a company wasn’t easy. It was something that I didn’t know a lot about, so I had to take a fair bit of risk. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me at the beginning. It’s not something I’d ever done before, so I was testing myself. I am proud that we were able to launch the company and have successfully scaled it. It’s been more successful than I expected.
Q. Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
A. Access to care. I think it’s very hard to see somebody with GI expertise and it certainly got worse during the pandemic. In my previous role, we used advanced practice providers. We tried to implement technology, sometimes effectively, sometimes not. But in general, we wanted to try to increase the supply of providers and compress these patient journeys to get people in the door. But that’s still a very difficult challenge we’re all trying to solve.
Q. What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
A. I would say two: James Trotter, MD, a hepatologist at the University of Colorado where I trained. He had a terrific impact in the sense that he was 100% focused on patients and got to know them as people. This taught me what it meant to be a clinician that was sort of a humanist. He cared so much for his patients that I still think about what Jim would do in a room today, 15 years after I finished my fellowship.
When I started my first job at Puget Sound Gastroenterology in the Seattle area, Robin Sloane, MD, was one of the senior partners of the group. I had a lot to learn after finishing fellowship. He was wonderful and gracious and really taught me a ton about the practical aspects of medicine. I felt this was an extension of my training in that he was a real clinician who really cared deeply for his patients. If I hadn’t met those two, my career and maybe my view of just what I did day-to-day would be different. They were both very, very impactful for me.
Q. Outside of teachers and mentors, who has had the strongest influence on your life?
A. Two people: my mother and my wife. My mother was a single parent and we were immigrants to the country. She was an ambitious woman who didn’t let anything stop her. I certainly learned a ton about resilience, work ethic. She’s somebody who always treated people well. My wife also supported and believed in me, and without her, I would not have had the courage to start a company.
Q. Describe a scene of your vision for the future.
A. I think we need to change our mindset in terms of how we interact with patients. I think there’s going to be a lot of clinical testing that is performed away from the physician’s office. It’s going to become more democratized and more decentralized. And I think in the future, patients will have more agency in how they interact with the system. I think artificial intelligence will potentially augment all of this as well. We’ll have patients who are more engaged, have more choice and easier access to expert care. They’ll come in with more information on their hands and they won’t have to wait as long. I think the wait times to get to a GI clinic now are way too long.
What I’d also like to see are providers spending more time doing things that they’re trained to do rather than documentation, summarizing data, and dealing with administrative headaches. I think almost everybody has that goal, but I think that’s achievable.
I want providers to have an iron man or iron woman suit when they see a patient, to have more data at their fingertips, to spend more time with the patients and have smarter visits.
Q. What did you fear most early in your career?
A. Failure for the most part, and comfort. For a long time, I wanted to start a company and change the space. Fear of failure has been ingrained in me and I think that’s true for a lot of physicians. I had always been a perfectionist.
Q. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A. Seeing patients is by far the thing I enjoy most. I don’t love documenting or digging up information, but I like getting to know folks. In general, I’m a social person and my outpatient clinic gives me the most joy, probably more than anything else.
Q. How do you stay current with advances in your field?
A. I’m curious about all new things, so I stay current through traditional means: I go to conferences regularly, I take postgraduate courses, I listen to podcasts, talk to colleagues, and read journals on a regular basis. But there are a lot of adjacent sources I pay attention to as well, such as nonmedical journals and nonmedical podcasts. I talk to folks outside the space and try to learn from them as well.
Q. What habits have you established that have benefited your career?
A. I do the same thing every day before my clinic days or my endoscopy days. I make reading a part of each day so I can slow down and be more present. Every day I try not to perform just what I do workwise, but I try to find some balance either with my family, or through exercise. I think I’ve been pretty good at separating work life from personal life.
Lightning round questions
Texting or talking? Talking.
Favorite junk food? Peanut butter M&Ms.
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day? Three.
If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be? Venture capitalist.
Introvert or extrovert? Both.
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All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>At first, the prospect of starting a new novel practice was daunting, said Russ Arjal, MD, AGAF, a gastroenterologist in San Luis Obispo, Calif., who in 2021 la</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage/> <teaser>Practice increases supply of GI providers – virtually and effectively.</teaser> <title>Launching an entirely virtual health care GI practice</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords> <keyword>Member spotlight</keyword> </keywords> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term>27980</term> <term canonical="true">73428</term> <term>39313</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links/> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>Launching an entirely virtual health care GI practice</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p><span class="tag metaDescription">At first, the prospect of starting a new novel practice was daunting, said Russ Arjal, MD, AGAF, a gastroenterologist in San Luis Obispo, Calif., who in 2021 launched Telebelly Health, a virtual care gastroenterology clinic</span> that partners with health systems to offer GI care services throughout the country.</p> <p>Dr. Arjal, who as a cofounder of Telebelly Health also serves as chief medical officer and president of the practice, previously served as vice president of Puget Sound Gastroenterology and practiced in the Seattle area for 13 years. He served as vice president of clinical affairs for Gastro Health, the nation’s second-largest gastroenterology group, which acquired the Puget Sound practice in 2019. But then in 2021, he founded Telebelly with Sheri Rudberg, MBA, JD, who serves as CEO of the business; Alex Brown, who leads product development; and Nakort Valles, who serves as the company’s chief technology officer.<br/><br/>Building a new business whose goal is to transform GI health care delivery has been his biggest challenge to date. “I am proud of Telebelly because its goals are goals we all share, which is to try to get people in the door and take good care of them,” Dr. Arjal said.<br/><br/>Through virtual care clinics like Telebelly Health, patients can see a provider who is affiliated with a practice, even if the provider is in another state provided he or she is licensed in the patient’s home state. Some states have passed legislation to permanently allow out-of-state physicians to practice telehealth in their state if they follow the state’s requirements. In some states, that may amount to accepting an out-of-state medical license or requiring out-of-state clinicians to pass an exam.<br/><br/>Telebelly Health has served thousands of patients since September when the practice was launched. “We are scaling pretty quickly and will be doubling the number of providers in the next couple of months,” Dr. Arjal said.<br/><br/>In this Q&A, he talks more about his new business venture and his vision for the future of medicine.<br/><br/><strong>Question: Why did you choose GI?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>Answer: </strong>I wanted to do something that was cognitive where I interacted with and really got to know patients. I also wanted to be a proceduralist. I never wanted to be a surgeon – I knew that wasn’t for me. I fell in love with GI the first year in med school. I thought the pathology was interesting, and what GIs did in the acute setting as well as the outpatient setting was compelling. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. What achievement are you most proud of? <br/><br/>A. </strong>Prior to Telebelly, I led a large regional GI group in a competitive marketplace. Now, with Telebelly, building a team with a vision to transform the space has been the biggest challenge I have taken on. It’s still a work in progress, but we’ve had a great start. Starting a company wasn’t easy. It was something that I didn’t know a lot about, so I had to take a fair bit of risk. I wasn’t sure if I had it in me at the beginning. It’s not something I’d ever done before, so I was testing myself. I am proud that we were able to launch the company and have successfully scaled it. It’s been more successful than I expected. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.</strong> <br/><br/><strong>A. </strong>Access to care. I think it’s very hard to see somebody with GI expertise and it certainly got worse during the pandemic. In my previous role, we used advanced practice providers. We tried to implement technology, sometimes effectively, sometimes not. But in general, we wanted to try to increase the supply of providers and compress these patient journeys to get people in the door. But that’s still a very difficult challenge we’re all trying to solve. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?<br/><br/>A. </strong>I would say two: James Trotter, MD, a hepatologist at the University of Colorado where I trained. He had a terrific impact in the sense that he was 100% focused on patients and got to know them as people. This taught me what it meant to be a clinician that was sort of a humanist. He cared so much for his patients that I still think about what Jim would do in a room today, 15 years after I finished my fellowship. <br/><br/>When I started my first job at Puget Sound Gastroenterology in the Seattle area, Robin Sloane, MD, was one of the senior partners of the group. I had a lot to learn after finishing fellowship. He was wonderful and gracious and really taught me a ton about the practical aspects of medicine. I felt this was an extension of my training in that he was a real clinician who really cared deeply for his patients. If I hadn’t met those two, my career and maybe my view of just what I did day-to-day would be different. They were both very, very impactful for me. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. Outside of teachers and mentors, who has had the strongest influence on your life? <br/><br/>A. </strong>Two people: my mother and my wife. My mother was a single parent and we were immigrants to the country. She was an ambitious woman who didn’t let anything stop her. I certainly learned a ton about resilience, work ethic. She’s somebody who always treated people well. My wife also supported and believed in me, and without her, I would not have had the courage to start a company. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. Describe a scene of your vision for the future. <br/><br/>A. </strong> I think we need to change our mindset in terms of how we interact with patients. I think there’s going to be a lot of clinical testing that is performed away from the physician’s office. It’s going to become more democratized and more decentralized. And I think in the future, patients will have more agency in how they interact with the system. I think artificial intelligence will potentially augment all of this as well. We’ll have patients who are more engaged, have more choice and easier access to expert care. They’ll come in with more information on their hands and they won’t have to wait as long. I think the wait times to get to a GI clinic now are way too long. <br/><br/>What I’d also like to see are providers spending more time doing things that they’re trained to do rather than documentation, summarizing data, and dealing with administrative headaches. I think almost everybody has that goal, but I think that’s achievable. <br/><br/>I want providers to have an iron man or iron woman suit when they see a patient, to have more data at their fingertips, to spend more time with the patients and have smarter visits. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. What did you fear most early in your career? <br/><br/>A.</strong> Failure for the most part, and comfort. For a long time, I wanted to start a company and change the space. Fear of failure has been ingrained in me and I think that’s true for a lot of physicians. I had always been a perfectionist.<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice? <br/><br/>A.</strong> Seeing patients is by far the thing I enjoy most. I don’t love documenting or digging up information, but I like getting to know folks. In general, I’m a social person and my outpatient clinic gives me the most joy, probably more than anything else. </p> <p><strong>Q. How do you stay current with advances in your field? <br/><br/>A. </strong>I’m curious about all new things, so I stay current through traditional means: I go to conferences regularly, I take postgraduate courses, I listen to podcasts, talk to colleagues, and read journals on a regular basis. But there are a lot of adjacent sources I pay attention to as well, such as nonmedical journals and nonmedical podcasts. I talk to folks outside the space and try to learn from them as well. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q. What habits have you established that have benefited your career? <br/><br/>A. </strong>I do the same thing every day before my clinic days or my endoscopy days. I make reading a part of each day so I can slow down and be more present. Every day I try not to perform just what I do workwise, but I try to find some balance either with my family, or through exercise. I think I’ve been pretty good at separating work life from personal life. <br/><br/></p> <h2>Lightning round questions</h2> <p><strong>Texting or talking? </strong>Talking. <br/><br/><strong>Favorite junk food?</strong> Peanut butter M&Ms. <br/><br/><strong>How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?</strong> Three. <br/><br/><strong>If you weren’t a gastroenterologist, what would you be? </strong>Venture capitalist. <br/><br/><strong>Introvert or extrovert? </strong>Both.<span class="end"/></p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
Brooklyn gastroenterologist: Good listening skills make a doctor a better teacher, person
After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, he traveled to his home country of Sri Lanka to help people who were in need and establish an orphanage. He has applied his skills as a gastroenterologist in the U.S. military and the New York City Police Department.
He was in New York during the 9-11 terrorist attacks. To this day, he treats patients with residual GI problems and precancerous changes associated with 9-11. “I’m involved in screening those people who were the first responders referred by the NYPD,” he says.
This year Dr. Iswara earned the Distinguished Clinician Award in Private Practice from the American Gastroenterological Association. “He puts his patients first in every endeavor – and every question that he asks with regards to research and education is linked to the ultimate measuring stick of improving patient care,” according to an AGA announcement of the award.
When dealing with patients and colleagues, he offers this simple pearl of advice: Listen and then listen some more.
“Once you listen more, you can find out their issues much more in depth, and you can give a satisfying answer to them and their problems. Listening is a kindness and a compassionate thing. It not only makes you become a better teacher, but a better person,” said Dr. Iswara, attending gastroenterologist at Maimonides Medical Center in New York.
In an interview, he talked more in depth about his GI beginnings, his role as a mentor, and why he always starts the day with a prayer. He also confided about the useful time management habit kept from his military days that gives him energy.
Question: What gives you joy in day-to-day practice?
Dr. Iswara: One of the main joys is my colleagues, coworkers, fellows, and my patients. The patients come No. 1. As I walk into my practice area or in the hospital, there is a sense of inner happiness in my mind to see the smiles of the patients and the greetings I get from the patients and all the coworkers. I also see smiling patients with anxiety in their face, trying to get my attention to take care of them.
After I see the patient, I change to a different mode, a kind of a professional mode to give the best to the people whom I’m caring for, who are trusting me with their lives.
One thing I do in my mind before I even start the day, I do a silent prayer to guide me, to give compassionate care and safe care. I will not harm anyone who is depending on my care.
Q: Who was your mentor?
Dr. Iswara: I was lucky enough to have been trained by Baroukh El Kodsi, MD, at Maimonides Medical Center. He recently passed away and was a legend in Brooklyn. I was his first-generation trainee, and I was able to pass on my skills to my trainees. Now so many people who are in Brooklyn; they were trained by me, so it’s kind of growth by generations.
When I finished the training with Dr. Kodsi, he hired me as an associate director of the GI department at Maimonides. I became the program director, then division chief, then I became a director of advanced endoscopy. All these gastroenterology procedures started after 1975 while I was doing the training, so I was one of the pioneers to bring all this new technology to our hospital. I’m still involved in fellowship education.
Q: Can we talk more about your accomplishments? Perhaps you can discuss your AGA award and what you received it for.
Dr. Iswara: I’m humbled and honored by this role, and I’ll be forever grateful to AGA for this prestigious honor at the late stage of my career.
I have been a continuous AGA member for the last 45 years. I probably have one of the longest durations of being an actively practicing gastroenterologist in Brooklyn. I’ve also done academic work, teaching so many young gastroenterologists, motivating several of them to become leading gastroenterologists.
Q: If you could describe a scene of your vision for the future, what it would it be in terms of how gastroenterology is practiced?
Dr. Iswara: I’d like to see the newer generation practice more of a clinical medicine than technical medicine. Sometimes when I see the young people, they sit in front of the computer more than talking and touching the patient. There has to be some sort of a balance where the newer people should be taught more bedside personal care, touching the patient, looking at the patient’s face. They are kind of under pressure to write longer notes than to examine the patient, so I think this has to change.
Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Iswara: When I was in the military, I was told that to prevent battle fatigue you had to take a rest. I really try to take a rest almost 2 hours every day in the daytime. This rejuvenates me.
We live in New York, and I love to go to shows, especially magic shows. I love magic and illusion.
On free Saturday evenings, I also spend time with my grandchildren in the city, watching them in their baseball, soccer, swimming, and other activities. I love to spend time with them.
Lightning round
Texting or talking?
Texting
Favorite city in the U.S. besides the one you live?
Naples, Fla.
Favorite breakfast?
Pancakes
Dark Chocolate or milk chocolate?
Cadbury from England
Last movie you watched?
“To Sir, With Love”
After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, he traveled to his home country of Sri Lanka to help people who were in need and establish an orphanage. He has applied his skills as a gastroenterologist in the U.S. military and the New York City Police Department.
He was in New York during the 9-11 terrorist attacks. To this day, he treats patients with residual GI problems and precancerous changes associated with 9-11. “I’m involved in screening those people who were the first responders referred by the NYPD,” he says.
This year Dr. Iswara earned the Distinguished Clinician Award in Private Practice from the American Gastroenterological Association. “He puts his patients first in every endeavor – and every question that he asks with regards to research and education is linked to the ultimate measuring stick of improving patient care,” according to an AGA announcement of the award.
When dealing with patients and colleagues, he offers this simple pearl of advice: Listen and then listen some more.
“Once you listen more, you can find out their issues much more in depth, and you can give a satisfying answer to them and their problems. Listening is a kindness and a compassionate thing. It not only makes you become a better teacher, but a better person,” said Dr. Iswara, attending gastroenterologist at Maimonides Medical Center in New York.
In an interview, he talked more in depth about his GI beginnings, his role as a mentor, and why he always starts the day with a prayer. He also confided about the useful time management habit kept from his military days that gives him energy.
Question: What gives you joy in day-to-day practice?
Dr. Iswara: One of the main joys is my colleagues, coworkers, fellows, and my patients. The patients come No. 1. As I walk into my practice area or in the hospital, there is a sense of inner happiness in my mind to see the smiles of the patients and the greetings I get from the patients and all the coworkers. I also see smiling patients with anxiety in their face, trying to get my attention to take care of them.
After I see the patient, I change to a different mode, a kind of a professional mode to give the best to the people whom I’m caring for, who are trusting me with their lives.
One thing I do in my mind before I even start the day, I do a silent prayer to guide me, to give compassionate care and safe care. I will not harm anyone who is depending on my care.
Q: Who was your mentor?
Dr. Iswara: I was lucky enough to have been trained by Baroukh El Kodsi, MD, at Maimonides Medical Center. He recently passed away and was a legend in Brooklyn. I was his first-generation trainee, and I was able to pass on my skills to my trainees. Now so many people who are in Brooklyn; they were trained by me, so it’s kind of growth by generations.
When I finished the training with Dr. Kodsi, he hired me as an associate director of the GI department at Maimonides. I became the program director, then division chief, then I became a director of advanced endoscopy. All these gastroenterology procedures started after 1975 while I was doing the training, so I was one of the pioneers to bring all this new technology to our hospital. I’m still involved in fellowship education.
Q: Can we talk more about your accomplishments? Perhaps you can discuss your AGA award and what you received it for.
Dr. Iswara: I’m humbled and honored by this role, and I’ll be forever grateful to AGA for this prestigious honor at the late stage of my career.
I have been a continuous AGA member for the last 45 years. I probably have one of the longest durations of being an actively practicing gastroenterologist in Brooklyn. I’ve also done academic work, teaching so many young gastroenterologists, motivating several of them to become leading gastroenterologists.
Q: If you could describe a scene of your vision for the future, what it would it be in terms of how gastroenterology is practiced?
Dr. Iswara: I’d like to see the newer generation practice more of a clinical medicine than technical medicine. Sometimes when I see the young people, they sit in front of the computer more than talking and touching the patient. There has to be some sort of a balance where the newer people should be taught more bedside personal care, touching the patient, looking at the patient’s face. They are kind of under pressure to write longer notes than to examine the patient, so I think this has to change.
Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Iswara: When I was in the military, I was told that to prevent battle fatigue you had to take a rest. I really try to take a rest almost 2 hours every day in the daytime. This rejuvenates me.
We live in New York, and I love to go to shows, especially magic shows. I love magic and illusion.
On free Saturday evenings, I also spend time with my grandchildren in the city, watching them in their baseball, soccer, swimming, and other activities. I love to spend time with them.
Lightning round
Texting or talking?
Texting
Favorite city in the U.S. besides the one you live?
Naples, Fla.
Favorite breakfast?
Pancakes
Dark Chocolate or milk chocolate?
Cadbury from England
Last movie you watched?
“To Sir, With Love”
After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, he traveled to his home country of Sri Lanka to help people who were in need and establish an orphanage. He has applied his skills as a gastroenterologist in the U.S. military and the New York City Police Department.
He was in New York during the 9-11 terrorist attacks. To this day, he treats patients with residual GI problems and precancerous changes associated with 9-11. “I’m involved in screening those people who were the first responders referred by the NYPD,” he says.
This year Dr. Iswara earned the Distinguished Clinician Award in Private Practice from the American Gastroenterological Association. “He puts his patients first in every endeavor – and every question that he asks with regards to research and education is linked to the ultimate measuring stick of improving patient care,” according to an AGA announcement of the award.
When dealing with patients and colleagues, he offers this simple pearl of advice: Listen and then listen some more.
“Once you listen more, you can find out their issues much more in depth, and you can give a satisfying answer to them and their problems. Listening is a kindness and a compassionate thing. It not only makes you become a better teacher, but a better person,” said Dr. Iswara, attending gastroenterologist at Maimonides Medical Center in New York.
In an interview, he talked more in depth about his GI beginnings, his role as a mentor, and why he always starts the day with a prayer. He also confided about the useful time management habit kept from his military days that gives him energy.
Question: What gives you joy in day-to-day practice?
Dr. Iswara: One of the main joys is my colleagues, coworkers, fellows, and my patients. The patients come No. 1. As I walk into my practice area or in the hospital, there is a sense of inner happiness in my mind to see the smiles of the patients and the greetings I get from the patients and all the coworkers. I also see smiling patients with anxiety in their face, trying to get my attention to take care of them.
After I see the patient, I change to a different mode, a kind of a professional mode to give the best to the people whom I’m caring for, who are trusting me with their lives.
One thing I do in my mind before I even start the day, I do a silent prayer to guide me, to give compassionate care and safe care. I will not harm anyone who is depending on my care.
Q: Who was your mentor?
Dr. Iswara: I was lucky enough to have been trained by Baroukh El Kodsi, MD, at Maimonides Medical Center. He recently passed away and was a legend in Brooklyn. I was his first-generation trainee, and I was able to pass on my skills to my trainees. Now so many people who are in Brooklyn; they were trained by me, so it’s kind of growth by generations.
When I finished the training with Dr. Kodsi, he hired me as an associate director of the GI department at Maimonides. I became the program director, then division chief, then I became a director of advanced endoscopy. All these gastroenterology procedures started after 1975 while I was doing the training, so I was one of the pioneers to bring all this new technology to our hospital. I’m still involved in fellowship education.
Q: Can we talk more about your accomplishments? Perhaps you can discuss your AGA award and what you received it for.
Dr. Iswara: I’m humbled and honored by this role, and I’ll be forever grateful to AGA for this prestigious honor at the late stage of my career.
I have been a continuous AGA member for the last 45 years. I probably have one of the longest durations of being an actively practicing gastroenterologist in Brooklyn. I’ve also done academic work, teaching so many young gastroenterologists, motivating several of them to become leading gastroenterologists.
Q: If you could describe a scene of your vision for the future, what it would it be in terms of how gastroenterology is practiced?
Dr. Iswara: I’d like to see the newer generation practice more of a clinical medicine than technical medicine. Sometimes when I see the young people, they sit in front of the computer more than talking and touching the patient. There has to be some sort of a balance where the newer people should be taught more bedside personal care, touching the patient, looking at the patient’s face. They are kind of under pressure to write longer notes than to examine the patient, so I think this has to change.
Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Iswara: When I was in the military, I was told that to prevent battle fatigue you had to take a rest. I really try to take a rest almost 2 hours every day in the daytime. This rejuvenates me.
We live in New York, and I love to go to shows, especially magic shows. I love magic and illusion.
On free Saturday evenings, I also spend time with my grandchildren in the city, watching them in their baseball, soccer, swimming, and other activities. I love to spend time with them.
Lightning round
Texting or talking?
Texting
Favorite city in the U.S. besides the one you live?
Naples, Fla.
Favorite breakfast?
Pancakes
Dark Chocolate or milk chocolate?
Cadbury from England
Last movie you watched?
“To Sir, With Love”
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All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>Kadirawel Iswara, MD’s accomplishments go far beyond gastroenterology into humanitarian pursuits.</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage>294035</teaserImage> <teaser>“Listening is a kindness and a compassionate thing. It not only makes you become a better teacher, but a better person.”</teaser> <title>Brooklyn gastroenterologist: Good listening skills make a doctor a better teacher, person</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords/> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term canonical="true">73428</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links> <link> <itemClass qcode="ninat:picture"/> <altRep contenttype="image/jpeg">images/24011b92.jpg</altRep> <description role="drol:caption">Dr. Kadirawel Iswara</description> <description role="drol:credit"/> </link> </links> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>Brooklyn gastroenterologist: Good listening skills make a doctor a better teacher, person</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p><span class="tag metaDescription">Kadirawel Iswara, MD’s accomplishments go far beyond gastroenterology into humanitarian pursuits.</span> </p> <p>After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, he traveled to his home country of Sri Lanka to help people who were in need and establish an orphanage. He has applied his skills as a gastroenterologist in the U.S. military and the New York City Police Department. <br/><br/>He was in New York during the 9-11 terrorist attacks. To this day, he treats patients with residual GI problems and precancerous changes associated with 9-11. “I’m involved in screening those people who were the first responders referred by the NYPD,” he says. <br/><br/>[[{"fid":"294035","view_mode":"medstat_image_flush_right","fields":{"format":"medstat_image_flush_right","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Kadirawel Iswara, attending gastroenterologist at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. ","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Dr. Kadirawel Iswara"},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-medstat_image_flush_right"}}]]This year Dr. Iswara <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://gastro.org/news/introducing-your-2023-aga-recognition-prize-recipients/">earned</a></span> the Distinguished Clinician Award in Private Practice from the American Gastroenterological Association. “He puts his patients first in every endeavor – and every question that he asks with regards to research and education is linked to the ultimate measuring stick of improving patient care,” according to an AGA announcement of the award. <br/><br/>When dealing with patients and colleagues, he offers this simple pearl of advice: Listen and then listen some more.<br/><br/>“Once you listen more, you can find out their issues much more in depth, and you can give a satisfying answer to them and their problems. Listening is a kindness and a compassionate thing. It not only makes you become a better teacher, but a better person,” said Dr. Iswara, attending gastroenterologist at Maimonides Medical Center in New York.<br/><br/>In an interview, he talked more in depth about his GI beginnings, his role as a mentor, and why he always starts the day with a prayer. He also confided about the useful time management habit kept from his military days that gives him energy. <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Question: What gives you joy in day-to-day practice?<br/><br/>Dr. Iswara:</strong> One of the main joys is my colleagues, coworkers, fellows, and my patients. The patients come No. 1. As I walk into my practice area or in the hospital, there is a sense of inner happiness in my mind to see the smiles of the patients and the greetings I get from the patients and all the coworkers. I also see smiling patients with anxiety in their face, trying to get my attention to take care of them. </p> <p>After I see the patient, I change to a different mode, a kind of a professional mode to give the best to the people whom I’m caring for, who are trusting me with their lives. <br/><br/>One thing I do in my mind before I even start the day, I do a silent prayer to guide me, to give compassionate care and safe care. I will not harm anyone who is depending on my care. <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Who was your mentor?<br/><br/>Dr. Iswara:</strong> I was lucky enough to have been trained by Baroukh El Kodsi, MD, at Maimonides Medical Center. He recently passed away and was a legend in Brooklyn. I was his first-generation trainee, and I was able to pass on my skills to my trainees. Now so many people who are in Brooklyn; they were trained by me, so it’s kind of growth by generations.</p> <p>When I finished the training with Dr. Kodsi, he hired me as an associate director of the GI department at Maimonides. I became the program director, then division chief, then I became a director of advanced endoscopy. All these gastroenterology procedures started after 1975 while I was doing the training, so I was one of the pioneers to bring all this new technology to our hospital. I’m still involved in fellowship education.<br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Can we talk more about your accomplishments? Perhaps you can discuss your AGA award and what you received it for.<br/><br/>Dr. Iswara: </strong>I’m humbled and honored by this role, and I’ll be forever grateful to AGA for this prestigious honor at the late stage of my career.</p> <p>I have been a continuous AGA member for the last 45 years. I probably have one of the longest durations of being an actively practicing gastroenterologist in Brooklyn. I’ve also done academic work, teaching so many young gastroenterologists, motivating several of them to become leading gastroenterologists. <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: If you could describe a scene of your vision for the future, what it would it be in terms of how gastroenterology is practiced?<br/><br/>Dr. Iswara:</strong> I’d like to see the newer generation practice more of a clinical medicine than technical medicine. Sometimes when I see the young people, they sit in front of the computer more than talking and touching the patient. There has to be some sort of a balance where the newer people should be taught more bedside personal care, touching the patient, looking at the patient’s face. They are kind of under pressure to write longer notes than to examine the patient, so I think this has to change. </p> <p><strong>Q: Describe how you would spend a free Saturday afternoon.<br/><br/>Dr. Iswara:</strong> When I was in the military, I was told that to prevent battle fatigue you had to take a rest. I really try to take a rest almost 2 hours every day in the daytime. This rejuvenates me.</p> <p>We live in New York, and I love to go to shows, especially magic shows. I love magic and illusion. <br/><br/>On free Saturday evenings, I also spend time with my grandchildren in the city, watching them in their baseball, soccer, swimming, and other activities. I love to spend time with them.<br/><br/></p> <h2>Lightning round</h2> <p>Texting or talking? Texting. <br/><br/>Favorite city in the U.S. besides the one you live? Naples, Fla.<br/><br/>Favorite breakfast? Pancakes.<br/><br/>Dark Chocolate or milk chocolate? Cadbury from England.<br/><br/>Last movie you watched? “To Sir, With Love.”<span class="end"/></p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
Taking a global leap into GI technology
Sharmila Anandasabapathy, MD, knew she wanted to focus on endoscopy when she first started her career.
While leading an endoscopy unit in New York City, Dr. Anandasabapathy began developing endoscopic and imaging technologies for underresourced and underserved areas. These technologies eventually made their way into global clinical trials.
“We’ve gone to clinical trial in over 2,000 patients worldwide. When I made that jump into global GI, I was able to make that jump into global health in general,” said Dr. Anandasabapathy.
As vice president for global programs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Dr. Anandasabapathy currently focuses on clinical and translational research.
“We’re looking at the development of new, low-cost devices for early cancer detection in GI globally. I oversee our global programs across the whole college, so it’s GI, it’s surgery, it’s anesthesia, it’s obstetrics, it’s everything.”
In an interview, Dr. Anandasabapathy discussed what attracted her to gastroenterology and why she always takes the time to smile at her patients.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
A: There’s two questions in there: Why I chose GI and why I chose endoscopy.
I chose GI because when I was in my internal medicine training, they seemed like the happiest people in the hospital. They liked what they did. You could make a meaningful impact even at 3 a.m. if you were coming in for a variceal bleed. Everybody seemed happy with their choice of specialty. I was ready to be an oncologist, and I ended up becoming a gastroenterologist.
I chose endoscopy because it was where I wanted to be when I woke up in the morning. I was happy there. I love the procedures; I love the hand-eye coordination. I liked the fact that these were relatively shorter procedures, that it was technology based, and there was infinite growth.
Q: Was there a time when you really helped a patient by doing that endoscopy, preventing Barrett’s esophagus or even cancer?
A: I can think of several times where we had early cancers and it was a question between endoscopic treatment or surgery. It was always discussed with the surgeons. We made the decision within a multidisciplinary group and with the patient, but we usually went with the endoscopic options and the patients have done great. We’ve given them a greater quality of life, and I think that’s really rewarding.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A: My patients. I work with Barrett’s esophagus patients, and they tend to be well informed about the research and the science. I’m lucky to have a patient population that is really interested and willing to participate in that. I also like my students, my junior faculty. I like teaching and the global application of teaching.
Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?
A: That I would never become an independent researcher and do it alone. I was able to, over time. The ability to transition from being independent to teaching others and making them independent is a wonderful one.
Early on when I was doing GI, I remember looking at my division, and there were about 58 gastroenterologists and only 2 women. I thought at the time, “Well, can I do it? Is this a field that is conducive with being a woman and having a family?” It turned out that it is. Today, I’m really gratified to see that there are more women in GI than there ever were before.
Q: Have you ever received advice that you’ve ignored?A: Yes. Early in my training in internal medicine, I was told that I smiled too much and that my personality was such that patients and others would think I was too glib. Medicine was a serious business, and you shouldn’t be smiling. That’s not my personality – I’m not Eeyore. I think it’s served me well to be positive, and it’s served me well with patients to be smiling. Especially when you’re dealing with patients who have precancer or dysplasia and are scared – they want reassurance and they want a level of confidence. I’m glad I ignored that advice.
Q: What would be your advice to medical students?
A: Think about where you want to be when you wake up in the morning. If it’s either in a GI practice or doing GI research or doing endoscopy, then you should absolutely do it.
Lightning round
Cat person or dog person
Dog
Favorite sport
Tennis
What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it?
Dancing Queen
Favorite music genre
1980s pop
Favorite movie, show, or book
Wuthering Heights
Dr. Anandasabapathy is on LinkedIn and on Twitter at @anandasabapathy , @bcmglobalhealth , and @bcm_gihep .
Sharmila Anandasabapathy, MD, knew she wanted to focus on endoscopy when she first started her career.
While leading an endoscopy unit in New York City, Dr. Anandasabapathy began developing endoscopic and imaging technologies for underresourced and underserved areas. These technologies eventually made their way into global clinical trials.
“We’ve gone to clinical trial in over 2,000 patients worldwide. When I made that jump into global GI, I was able to make that jump into global health in general,” said Dr. Anandasabapathy.
As vice president for global programs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Dr. Anandasabapathy currently focuses on clinical and translational research.
“We’re looking at the development of new, low-cost devices for early cancer detection in GI globally. I oversee our global programs across the whole college, so it’s GI, it’s surgery, it’s anesthesia, it’s obstetrics, it’s everything.”
In an interview, Dr. Anandasabapathy discussed what attracted her to gastroenterology and why she always takes the time to smile at her patients.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
A: There’s two questions in there: Why I chose GI and why I chose endoscopy.
I chose GI because when I was in my internal medicine training, they seemed like the happiest people in the hospital. They liked what they did. You could make a meaningful impact even at 3 a.m. if you were coming in for a variceal bleed. Everybody seemed happy with their choice of specialty. I was ready to be an oncologist, and I ended up becoming a gastroenterologist.
I chose endoscopy because it was where I wanted to be when I woke up in the morning. I was happy there. I love the procedures; I love the hand-eye coordination. I liked the fact that these were relatively shorter procedures, that it was technology based, and there was infinite growth.
Q: Was there a time when you really helped a patient by doing that endoscopy, preventing Barrett’s esophagus or even cancer?
A: I can think of several times where we had early cancers and it was a question between endoscopic treatment or surgery. It was always discussed with the surgeons. We made the decision within a multidisciplinary group and with the patient, but we usually went with the endoscopic options and the patients have done great. We’ve given them a greater quality of life, and I think that’s really rewarding.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A: My patients. I work with Barrett’s esophagus patients, and they tend to be well informed about the research and the science. I’m lucky to have a patient population that is really interested and willing to participate in that. I also like my students, my junior faculty. I like teaching and the global application of teaching.
Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?
A: That I would never become an independent researcher and do it alone. I was able to, over time. The ability to transition from being independent to teaching others and making them independent is a wonderful one.
Early on when I was doing GI, I remember looking at my division, and there were about 58 gastroenterologists and only 2 women. I thought at the time, “Well, can I do it? Is this a field that is conducive with being a woman and having a family?” It turned out that it is. Today, I’m really gratified to see that there are more women in GI than there ever were before.
Q: Have you ever received advice that you’ve ignored?A: Yes. Early in my training in internal medicine, I was told that I smiled too much and that my personality was such that patients and others would think I was too glib. Medicine was a serious business, and you shouldn’t be smiling. That’s not my personality – I’m not Eeyore. I think it’s served me well to be positive, and it’s served me well with patients to be smiling. Especially when you’re dealing with patients who have precancer or dysplasia and are scared – they want reassurance and they want a level of confidence. I’m glad I ignored that advice.
Q: What would be your advice to medical students?
A: Think about where you want to be when you wake up in the morning. If it’s either in a GI practice or doing GI research or doing endoscopy, then you should absolutely do it.
Lightning round
Cat person or dog person
Dog
Favorite sport
Tennis
What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it?
Dancing Queen
Favorite music genre
1980s pop
Favorite movie, show, or book
Wuthering Heights
Dr. Anandasabapathy is on LinkedIn and on Twitter at @anandasabapathy , @bcmglobalhealth , and @bcm_gihep .
Sharmila Anandasabapathy, MD, knew she wanted to focus on endoscopy when she first started her career.
While leading an endoscopy unit in New York City, Dr. Anandasabapathy began developing endoscopic and imaging technologies for underresourced and underserved areas. These technologies eventually made their way into global clinical trials.
“We’ve gone to clinical trial in over 2,000 patients worldwide. When I made that jump into global GI, I was able to make that jump into global health in general,” said Dr. Anandasabapathy.
As vice president for global programs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Dr. Anandasabapathy currently focuses on clinical and translational research.
“We’re looking at the development of new, low-cost devices for early cancer detection in GI globally. I oversee our global programs across the whole college, so it’s GI, it’s surgery, it’s anesthesia, it’s obstetrics, it’s everything.”
In an interview, Dr. Anandasabapathy discussed what attracted her to gastroenterology and why she always takes the time to smile at her patients.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
A: There’s two questions in there: Why I chose GI and why I chose endoscopy.
I chose GI because when I was in my internal medicine training, they seemed like the happiest people in the hospital. They liked what they did. You could make a meaningful impact even at 3 a.m. if you were coming in for a variceal bleed. Everybody seemed happy with their choice of specialty. I was ready to be an oncologist, and I ended up becoming a gastroenterologist.
I chose endoscopy because it was where I wanted to be when I woke up in the morning. I was happy there. I love the procedures; I love the hand-eye coordination. I liked the fact that these were relatively shorter procedures, that it was technology based, and there was infinite growth.
Q: Was there a time when you really helped a patient by doing that endoscopy, preventing Barrett’s esophagus or even cancer?
A: I can think of several times where we had early cancers and it was a question between endoscopic treatment or surgery. It was always discussed with the surgeons. We made the decision within a multidisciplinary group and with the patient, but we usually went with the endoscopic options and the patients have done great. We’ve given them a greater quality of life, and I think that’s really rewarding.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A: My patients. I work with Barrett’s esophagus patients, and they tend to be well informed about the research and the science. I’m lucky to have a patient population that is really interested and willing to participate in that. I also like my students, my junior faculty. I like teaching and the global application of teaching.
Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?
A: That I would never become an independent researcher and do it alone. I was able to, over time. The ability to transition from being independent to teaching others and making them independent is a wonderful one.
Early on when I was doing GI, I remember looking at my division, and there were about 58 gastroenterologists and only 2 women. I thought at the time, “Well, can I do it? Is this a field that is conducive with being a woman and having a family?” It turned out that it is. Today, I’m really gratified to see that there are more women in GI than there ever were before.
Q: Have you ever received advice that you’ve ignored?A: Yes. Early in my training in internal medicine, I was told that I smiled too much and that my personality was such that patients and others would think I was too glib. Medicine was a serious business, and you shouldn’t be smiling. That’s not my personality – I’m not Eeyore. I think it’s served me well to be positive, and it’s served me well with patients to be smiling. Especially when you’re dealing with patients who have precancer or dysplasia and are scared – they want reassurance and they want a level of confidence. I’m glad I ignored that advice.
Q: What would be your advice to medical students?
A: Think about where you want to be when you wake up in the morning. If it’s either in a GI practice or doing GI research or doing endoscopy, then you should absolutely do it.
Lightning round
Cat person or dog person
Dog
Favorite sport
Tennis
What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it?
Dancing Queen
Favorite music genre
1980s pop
Favorite movie, show, or book
Wuthering Heights
Dr. Anandasabapathy is on LinkedIn and on Twitter at @anandasabapathy , @bcmglobalhealth , and @bcm_gihep .
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All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>Her passion would someday translate into a worldwide effort to expand and test this technology.</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage>293275</teaserImage> <teaser>“We’ve gone to clinical trial in over 2,000 patients worldwide. When I made that jump into global GI, I was able to make that jump into global health in general.”</teaser> <title>Taking a global leap into GI technology</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords/> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term canonical="true">73428</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links> <link> <itemClass qcode="ninat:picture"/> <altRep contenttype="image/jpeg">images/240119cf.jpg</altRep> <description role="drol:caption">Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy</description> <description role="drol:credit">Baylor College of Medicine</description> </link> </links> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>Taking a global leap into GI technology</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p><span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/sharmila-anandasabapathy-17390">Sharmila Anandasabapathy, MD</a>,</span> knew she wanted to focus on endoscopy when she first started her career. <span class="tag metaDescription">Her passion would someday translate into a worldwide effort to expand and test this technology.</span></p> <p>While leading an endoscopy unit in New York City, Dr. Anandasabapathy began developing endoscopic and imaging technologies for underresourced and underserved areas. These technologies eventually made their way into global clinical trials. <br/><br/>“We’ve gone to clinical trial in over 2,000 patients worldwide. When I made that jump into global GI, I was able to make that jump into global health in general,” said Dr. Anandasabapathy. <br/><br/>[[{"fid":"293275","view_mode":"medstat_image_full_text","fields":{"format":"medstat_image_full_text","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy, gastroenterologist and vice president for global programs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"Baylor College of Medicine","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy"},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-medstat_image_full_text"}}]]As vice president for global programs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Dr. Anandasabapathy currently focuses on clinical and translational research. <br/><br/>“We’re looking at the development of new, low-cost devices for early cancer detection in GI globally. I oversee our global programs across the whole college, so it’s GI, it’s surgery, it’s anesthesia, it’s obstetrics, it’s everything.”<br/><br/>In an interview, Dr. Anandasabapathy discussed what attracted her to gastroenterology and why she always takes the time to smile at her patients. <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Why did you choose GI? <br/><br/>A:</strong> There’s two questions in there: Why I chose GI and why I chose endoscopy. </p> <p>I chose GI because when I was in my internal medicine training, they seemed like the happiest people in the hospital. They liked what they did. You could make a meaningful impact even at 3 a.m. if you were coming in for a variceal bleed. Everybody seemed happy with their choice of specialty. I was ready to be an oncologist, and I ended up becoming a gastroenterologist. <br/><br/>I chose endoscopy because it was where I wanted to be when I woke up in the morning. I was happy there. I love the procedures; I love the hand-eye coordination. I liked the fact that these were relatively shorter procedures, that it was technology based, and there was infinite growth. <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Was there a time when you really helped a patient by doing that endoscopy, preventing Barrett’s esophagus or even cancer?<br/><br/>A: </strong>I can think of several times where we had early cancers and it was a question between endoscopic treatment or surgery. It was always discussed with the surgeons. We made the decision within a multidisciplinary group and with the patient, but we usually went with the endoscopic options and the patients have done great. We’ve given them a greater quality of life, and I think that’s really rewarding.</p> <p><strong>Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice? <br/><br/>A:</strong> My patients. I work with Barrett’s esophagus patients, and they tend to be well informed about the research and the science. I’m lucky to have a patient population that is really interested and willing to participate in that. I also like my students, my junior faculty. I like teaching and the global application of teaching.</p> <p><strong>Q: What fears did you have to push past to get to where you are in your career?<br/><br/>A: </strong>That I would never become an independent researcher and do it alone. I was able to, over time. The ability to transition from being independent to teaching others and making them independent is a wonderful one.</p> <p>Early on when I was doing GI, I remember looking at my division, and there were about 58 gastroenterologists and only 2 women. I thought at the time, “Well, can I do it? Is this a field that is conducive with being a woman and having a family?” It turned out that it is. Today, I’m really gratified to see that there are more women in GI than there ever were before.<br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Have you ever received advice that you’ve ignored?</strong><strong>A: </strong>Yes. Early in my training in internal medicine, I was told that I smiled too much and that my personality was such that patients and others would think I was too glib. Medicine was a serious business, and you shouldn’t be smiling. That’s not my personality – I’m not Eeyore. I think it’s served me well to be positive, and it’s served me well with patients to be smiling. Especially when you’re dealing with patients who have precancer or dysplasia and are scared – they want reassurance and they want a level of confidence. I’m glad I ignored that advice. </p> <p><strong>Q: What would be your advice to medical students?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>A: </strong>Think about where you want to be when you wake up in the morning. If it’s either in a GI practice or doing GI research or doing endoscopy, then you should absolutely do it. </p> <h2>Lightning round</h2> <p><strong>Cat person or dog person<br/><br/></strong>Dog<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Favorite sport<br/><br/></strong>Tennis<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it? <br/><br/></strong>Dancing Queen<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Favorite music genre<br/><br/></strong>1980s pop <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Favorite movie, show, or book<br/><br/></strong>Wuthering Heights<br/><br/></p> <p> <em> <em>Dr. Anandasabapathy is on </em> <span class="Hyperlink"> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharmila-anandasabapathy-24816362">LinkedIn</a> </span> <em> and on Twitter at </em> <span class="Hyperlink"> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%40anandasabapathy&src=typed_query">@anandasabapathy</a> </span> <em>, </em> <span class="Hyperlink"> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%40bcmglobalhealth&src=typed_query&f=top">@bcmglobalhealth</a> </span> <em>, and </em> <span class="Hyperlink"> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%40bcm_gihep&src=typed_query&f=top">@bcm_gihep</a> </span> <em>.</em> </em> </p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
GI lends itself to multiple career paths, says Boston physician
Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF, has some advice for young physicians starting out in their careers: Don’t be afraid of change.
“Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your career doing patient care. We don’t teach that in medical school as well as we should,” said Dr. Leffler. “If you’re interested in a skill set and move in a different direction, that’s totally okay. Many people have major career shifts, whether it’s early, mid- or late career.”
Dr. Leffler followed his own advice in 2016 when he left his longtime job as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and accepted a position with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. As its medical director, he had a specific goal: To find more therapeutic options for patients with celiac disease.
“Gastroenterology is a fantastic field of medicine, and it somehow continues to get more and more exciting,” said Dr. Leffler, who continues to see patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “There are just so many careers you can have within gastroenterology, whether you are a full-time endoscopist, in a teaching career, or doing lab work.”
He discussed the events that led to this career change in an interview with GI & Hepatology News.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Leffler: I think for a lot of people GI is just an incredibly diverse field where you can see all types of patients and you have an unusually wide armamentarium of diagnostic and therapeutic options. Our ability to see inside in the GI tract relatively easily and obtain tissue and do functional studies is unique. It makes it a very dynamic field.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Leffler: I think it’s taking a fresh look at somebody whose symptoms have been incorrectly diagnosed or diagnosed preliminarily as one thing and opening different options and working with the patient to hopefully find a more targeted therapy based on a more definitive diagnosis.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Leffler: There are two challenges. For celiac disease, all I have is a gluten-free diet. It would be nice to have other options, the same way we do with almost every other GI disease, whether it’s acid-related disorders or chronic constipation or inflammatory bowel disease. We have a range of therapies we can pick and choose from, tailoring those to the individual. We are not there yet, unfortunately, in celiac disease, so that’s a huge challenge.
Another challenge is awareness of celiac disease. It’s not what it should be. We see a lot of patients who either were misdiagnosed or went many years without getting a proper diagnosis or got diagnosed and did not have proper education or follow up.
Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career? Perhaps we could discuss your switch from Harvard/Beth Israel Deaconess to Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Leffler: I became convinced some years ago that the next big thing for celiac disease was an effective therapy beyond the gluten-free diet. Takeda had acquired rights to two of the therapies that I was most interested in, even though they were very early. There was a new glutenase, TAK-062, and a new immune-tolerizing molecule that became TAK-101. Takeda had moved its research center to Boston, and they were looking for someone to work on their celiac program. Moving from an academic position, which I loved, was a really difficult decision.
I didn’t leave without a conversation with the division chief at the time, Tom Lamont, MD. I basically said, “If this doesn’t work out, will you take me back?” I wasn’t sure how much I’d like working in industry. The other thing, on both sides, was that I was allowed to keep a clinic. I still see patients on Fridays and really, to me, I have the best of both worlds.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Leffler: I really think of Ciaran Kelly, MD at Beth Israel Deaconess, Detlef Schuppan, MD, who also was at Beth Israel Deaconess, but is now at the University of Mainz in Germany. And Peter Green, MD at Columbia University. These three are the physicians I’ve interacted with the most and learned the most from.
Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?
Dr. Leffler: I do try to focus on being a good collaborator. Playing that long game of working for the good of the project and not necessarily what is next for you, has served me very well over the years.
Lightening round
Superpower?
Optimism
Favorite movie to quote?
The Big Lebowski
What is your favorite form of exercise?
Elliptical
Name one thing on your bucket list.
Ethiopia travel
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?
Two-ish
Dr. Leffler is on LinkedIn.
Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF, has some advice for young physicians starting out in their careers: Don’t be afraid of change.
“Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your career doing patient care. We don’t teach that in medical school as well as we should,” said Dr. Leffler. “If you’re interested in a skill set and move in a different direction, that’s totally okay. Many people have major career shifts, whether it’s early, mid- or late career.”
Dr. Leffler followed his own advice in 2016 when he left his longtime job as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and accepted a position with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. As its medical director, he had a specific goal: To find more therapeutic options for patients with celiac disease.
“Gastroenterology is a fantastic field of medicine, and it somehow continues to get more and more exciting,” said Dr. Leffler, who continues to see patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “There are just so many careers you can have within gastroenterology, whether you are a full-time endoscopist, in a teaching career, or doing lab work.”
He discussed the events that led to this career change in an interview with GI & Hepatology News.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Leffler: I think for a lot of people GI is just an incredibly diverse field where you can see all types of patients and you have an unusually wide armamentarium of diagnostic and therapeutic options. Our ability to see inside in the GI tract relatively easily and obtain tissue and do functional studies is unique. It makes it a very dynamic field.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Leffler: I think it’s taking a fresh look at somebody whose symptoms have been incorrectly diagnosed or diagnosed preliminarily as one thing and opening different options and working with the patient to hopefully find a more targeted therapy based on a more definitive diagnosis.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Leffler: There are two challenges. For celiac disease, all I have is a gluten-free diet. It would be nice to have other options, the same way we do with almost every other GI disease, whether it’s acid-related disorders or chronic constipation or inflammatory bowel disease. We have a range of therapies we can pick and choose from, tailoring those to the individual. We are not there yet, unfortunately, in celiac disease, so that’s a huge challenge.
Another challenge is awareness of celiac disease. It’s not what it should be. We see a lot of patients who either were misdiagnosed or went many years without getting a proper diagnosis or got diagnosed and did not have proper education or follow up.
Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career? Perhaps we could discuss your switch from Harvard/Beth Israel Deaconess to Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Leffler: I became convinced some years ago that the next big thing for celiac disease was an effective therapy beyond the gluten-free diet. Takeda had acquired rights to two of the therapies that I was most interested in, even though they were very early. There was a new glutenase, TAK-062, and a new immune-tolerizing molecule that became TAK-101. Takeda had moved its research center to Boston, and they were looking for someone to work on their celiac program. Moving from an academic position, which I loved, was a really difficult decision.
I didn’t leave without a conversation with the division chief at the time, Tom Lamont, MD. I basically said, “If this doesn’t work out, will you take me back?” I wasn’t sure how much I’d like working in industry. The other thing, on both sides, was that I was allowed to keep a clinic. I still see patients on Fridays and really, to me, I have the best of both worlds.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Leffler: I really think of Ciaran Kelly, MD at Beth Israel Deaconess, Detlef Schuppan, MD, who also was at Beth Israel Deaconess, but is now at the University of Mainz in Germany. And Peter Green, MD at Columbia University. These three are the physicians I’ve interacted with the most and learned the most from.
Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?
Dr. Leffler: I do try to focus on being a good collaborator. Playing that long game of working for the good of the project and not necessarily what is next for you, has served me very well over the years.
Lightening round
Superpower?
Optimism
Favorite movie to quote?
The Big Lebowski
What is your favorite form of exercise?
Elliptical
Name one thing on your bucket list.
Ethiopia travel
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?
Two-ish
Dr. Leffler is on LinkedIn.
Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF, has some advice for young physicians starting out in their careers: Don’t be afraid of change.
“Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your career doing patient care. We don’t teach that in medical school as well as we should,” said Dr. Leffler. “If you’re interested in a skill set and move in a different direction, that’s totally okay. Many people have major career shifts, whether it’s early, mid- or late career.”
Dr. Leffler followed his own advice in 2016 when he left his longtime job as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and accepted a position with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. As its medical director, he had a specific goal: To find more therapeutic options for patients with celiac disease.
“Gastroenterology is a fantastic field of medicine, and it somehow continues to get more and more exciting,” said Dr. Leffler, who continues to see patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “There are just so many careers you can have within gastroenterology, whether you are a full-time endoscopist, in a teaching career, or doing lab work.”
He discussed the events that led to this career change in an interview with GI & Hepatology News.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Leffler: I think for a lot of people GI is just an incredibly diverse field where you can see all types of patients and you have an unusually wide armamentarium of diagnostic and therapeutic options. Our ability to see inside in the GI tract relatively easily and obtain tissue and do functional studies is unique. It makes it a very dynamic field.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Leffler: I think it’s taking a fresh look at somebody whose symptoms have been incorrectly diagnosed or diagnosed preliminarily as one thing and opening different options and working with the patient to hopefully find a more targeted therapy based on a more definitive diagnosis.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Leffler: There are two challenges. For celiac disease, all I have is a gluten-free diet. It would be nice to have other options, the same way we do with almost every other GI disease, whether it’s acid-related disorders or chronic constipation or inflammatory bowel disease. We have a range of therapies we can pick and choose from, tailoring those to the individual. We are not there yet, unfortunately, in celiac disease, so that’s a huge challenge.
Another challenge is awareness of celiac disease. It’s not what it should be. We see a lot of patients who either were misdiagnosed or went many years without getting a proper diagnosis or got diagnosed and did not have proper education or follow up.
Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career? Perhaps we could discuss your switch from Harvard/Beth Israel Deaconess to Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Leffler: I became convinced some years ago that the next big thing for celiac disease was an effective therapy beyond the gluten-free diet. Takeda had acquired rights to two of the therapies that I was most interested in, even though they were very early. There was a new glutenase, TAK-062, and a new immune-tolerizing molecule that became TAK-101. Takeda had moved its research center to Boston, and they were looking for someone to work on their celiac program. Moving from an academic position, which I loved, was a really difficult decision.
I didn’t leave without a conversation with the division chief at the time, Tom Lamont, MD. I basically said, “If this doesn’t work out, will you take me back?” I wasn’t sure how much I’d like working in industry. The other thing, on both sides, was that I was allowed to keep a clinic. I still see patients on Fridays and really, to me, I have the best of both worlds.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Leffler: I really think of Ciaran Kelly, MD at Beth Israel Deaconess, Detlef Schuppan, MD, who also was at Beth Israel Deaconess, but is now at the University of Mainz in Germany. And Peter Green, MD at Columbia University. These three are the physicians I’ve interacted with the most and learned the most from.
Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?
Dr. Leffler: I do try to focus on being a good collaborator. Playing that long game of working for the good of the project and not necessarily what is next for you, has served me very well over the years.
Lightening round
Superpower?
Optimism
Favorite movie to quote?
The Big Lebowski
What is your favorite form of exercise?
Elliptical
Name one thing on your bucket list.
Ethiopia travel
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?
Two-ish
Dr. Leffler is on LinkedIn.
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<root generator="drupal.xsl" gversion="1.7"> <header> <fileName>161878</fileName> <TBEID>0C047C8A.SIG</TBEID> <TBUniqueIdentifier>MD_0C047C8A</TBUniqueIdentifier> <newsOrJournal>News</newsOrJournal> <publisherName>Frontline Medical Communications</publisherName> <storyname>GI & Hep profile Leffler</storyname> <articleType>2</articleType> <TBLocation>QC Done-All Pubs</TBLocation> <QCDate>20230124T141741</QCDate> <firstPublished>20230124T152250</firstPublished> <LastPublished>20230124T152250</LastPublished> <pubStatus qcode="stat:"/> <embargoDate>20230401T000000</embargoDate> <killDate/> <CMSDate>20230401T000000</CMSDate> <articleSource/> <facebookInfo/> <meetingNumber/> <byline>Jennifer Lubell</byline> <bylineText>JENNIFER LUBELL</bylineText> <bylineFull>JENNIFER LUBELL</bylineFull> <bylineTitleText>MDedge News</bylineTitleText> <USOrGlobal/> <wireDocType/> <newsDocType>Feature</newsDocType> <journalDocType/> <linkLabel/> <pageRange/> <citation/> <quizID/> <indexIssueDate/> <itemClass qcode="ninat:text"/> <provider qcode="provider:imng"> <name>IMNG Medical Media</name> <rightsInfo> <copyrightHolder> <name>Frontline Medical News</name> </copyrightHolder> <copyrightNotice>Copyright (c) 2015 Frontline Medical News, a Frontline Medical Communications Inc. company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF, has some advice for young physicians starting out in their careers: Don’t be afraid of change.</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage>292504</teaserImage> <teaser>“Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your career doing patient care. We don’t teach that in medical school as well as we should.”</teaser> <title>GI lends itself to multiple career paths, says Boston physician</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords/> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term canonical="true">73428</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links> <link> <itemClass qcode="ninat:picture"/> <altRep contenttype="image/jpeg">images/2401183a.jpg</altRep> <description role="drol:caption">Dr. Daniel Leffler</description> <description role="drol:credit"/> </link> </links> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>GI lends itself to multiple career paths, says Boston physician</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p>Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF, has some advice for young physicians starting out in their careers: Don’t be afraid of change. </p> <p>“Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your career doing patient care. We don’t teach that in medical school as well as we should,” said Dr. Leffler. “If you’re interested in a skill set and move in a different direction, that’s totally okay. Many people have major career shifts, whether it’s early, mid- or late career.”<br/><br/>[[{"fid":"292504","view_mode":"medstat_image_flush_right","fields":{"format":"medstat_image_flush_right","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF, medical director, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Boston","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Dr. Daniel Leffler"},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-medstat_image_flush_right"}}]]Dr. Leffler followed his own advice in 2016 when he left his longtime job as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and accepted a position with Takeda Pharmaceuticals. As its medical director, he had a specific goal: To find more therapeutic options for patients with celiac disease. <br/><br/>“Gastroenterology is a fantastic field of medicine, and it somehow continues to get more and more exciting,” said Dr. Leffler, who continues to see patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “There are just so many careers you can have within gastroenterology, whether you are a full-time endoscopist, in a teaching career, or doing lab work.” <br/><br/>He discussed the events that led to this career change in an interview with GI & Hepatology News.<br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: Why did you choose GI? <br/><br/>Dr. Leffler:</strong> I think for a lot of people GI is just an incredibly diverse field where you can see all types of patients and you have an unusually wide armamentarium of diagnostic and therapeutic options. Our ability to see inside in the GI tract relatively easily and obtain tissue and do functional studies is unique. It makes it a very dynamic field.</p> <p><strong>Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?<br/><br/>Dr. Leffler:</strong> I think it’s taking a fresh look at somebody whose symptoms have been incorrectly diagnosed or diagnosed preliminarily as one thing and opening different options and working with the patient to hopefully find a more targeted therapy based on a more definitive diagnosis.</p> <p><strong>Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.<br/><br/>Dr. Leffler: </strong>There are two challenges. For celiac disease, all I have is a gluten-free diet. It would be nice to have other options, the same way we do with almost every other GI disease, whether it’s acid-related disorders or chronic constipation or inflammatory bowel disease. We have a range of therapies we can pick and choose from, tailoring those to the individual. We are not there yet, unfortunately, in celiac disease, so that’s a huge challenge.</p> <p>Another challenge is awareness of celiac disease. It’s not what it should be. We see a lot of patients who either were misdiagnosed or went many years without getting a proper diagnosis or got diagnosed and did not have proper education or follow up. <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career? Perhaps we could discuss your switch from Harvard/Beth Israel Deaconess to Takeda Pharmaceuticals. <br/><br/>Dr. Leffler: </strong>I became convinced some years ago that the next big thing for celiac disease was an effective therapy beyond the gluten-free diet. Takeda had acquired rights to two of the therapies that I was most interested in, even though they were very early. There was a new glutenase, TAK-062, and a new immune-tolerizing molecule that became TAK-101. Takeda had moved its research center to Boston, and they were looking for someone to work on their celiac program. Moving from an academic position, which I loved, was a really difficult decision.</p> <p>I didn’t leave without a conversation with the division chief at the time, Tom Lamont, MD. I basically said, “If this doesn’t work out, will you take me back?” I wasn’t sure how much I’d like working in industry. The other thing, on both sides, was that I was allowed to keep a clinic. I still see patients on Fridays and really, to me, I have the best of both worlds.<br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?<br/><br/>Dr. Leffler:</strong> I really think of <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://findadoc.bidmc.org/details/753/ciaran-kelly-gastroenterology-boston">Ciaran Kelly, MD</a></span> at Beth Israel Deaconess, <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://www.grc.uni-mainz.de/former-grc-fellows/prof-detlef-schuppan/">Detlef Schuppan, MD</a></span>, who also was at Beth Israel Deaconess, but is now at the University of Mainz in Germany. And <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://doctors.columbia.edu/us/ny/new-york/peter-h-green-md-180-fort-washington-avenue">Peter Green, MD</a></span> at Columbia University. These three are the physicians I’ve interacted with the most and learned the most from.</p> <p><strong>Q: What habits have you established that have benefited your career most?<br/><br/>Dr. Leffler:</strong> I do try to focus on being a good collaborator. Playing that long game of working for the good of the project and not necessarily what is next for you, has served me very well over the years. </p> <h2>Lightening round</h2> <p><strong>Superpower?</strong> <br/><br/>Optimism</p> <p><strong>Favorite movie to quote?</strong> <br/><br/>The Big Lebowski</p> <p><strong>What is your favorite form of exercise? </strong><br/><br/>Elliptical</p> <p> <strong>Name one thing on your bucket list. </strong> </p> <p>Ethiopia travel</p> <p><strong>How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?</strong> </p> <p>Two-ish</p> <p> <em> <em>Dr. Leffler is on </em> <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-leffler-md-ms-agaf-652a507/">LinkedIn</a>. </span> </em> </p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
Culinary medicine guides rural GI doctor’s career
Someone once told Christina Tennyson, MD, that clinical medicine was a grind. Instead of veering away from the profession, she dove in. Medicine will always have its frustrations, she acknowledged.
However, “finding areas that interest me and incorporating those into clinical practice has really helped me enjoy the practice of medicine,” said Dr. Tennyson, who works at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va.
It has also inspired her to think outside the box in her gastroenterology practice. What her patients eat and the lifestyle choices they make is a central focus of her work.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Tennyson: I always had an interest in nutrition. During training at medical school at NYU [New York University], I also really loved learning all I could about internal medicine. I worked with a great surgical team as a student and enjoyed being in the operating room. Although I knew I didn’t want to enter surgery, the experience encouraged me to pursue gastroenterology as it involved nutrition, internal medicine, and procedures as well as my favorite organ, the small bowel. I worked with some great mentors in gastroenterology, such as Dr. David Metz and Dr. Dave Katzka, at the University of Pennsylvania as a resident. I enjoyed taking care of patients with both acute and chronic conditions as well as the mix of doing procedures and seeing patients in the office. It also provided me the opportunity to incorporate nutrition into my clinical practice.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Tennyson: I enjoy helping my patients make meaningful lifestyle changes that can positively impact digestive health and well-being. I try to address topics related to lifestyle medicine in most of my clinical visits including eating more fiber/plants, exercise, positive relationships, and stress management. Many of the conditions we treat as gastroenterologists can benefit from addressing aspects of lifestyle along with our conventional medical therapies. I reinforce that attention to these areas can make a difference. I enjoy sharing recipes, books, and websites that I have found helpful.
Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career?
Dr. Tennyson: After fellowship, I joined the faculty at Columbia University and worked at the Celiac Disease Center seeing patients, teaching, and performing clinical research under the mentorship of Peter Green, MD, and Suzanne Lewis, MD. It was a great opportunity to learn and practice in a tertiary center. I later switched roles and joined a general multispecialty community practice in Brooklyn [N.Y.] affiliated with an academic medical center. After practicing in New York for 10 years, I left my clinical practice and performed locums work for several years in underserved rural areas. I enjoyed working in rural areas and took a permanent position at a community hospital in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Tennyson: The small, rural community hospital where I currently work does not have the same resources and staffing as urban tertiary centers. While we are taking care of the community in our general gastroenterology practice, we’ve also launched an integrated care model in our hospital. We have collaborated with behavioral health, dietitians, nurses, health coaches, exercise physiologists as well as other members of the community, including farmers and a chef. We have performed some innovative, engaging programs, including fermentation workshops, cooking classes, farm walks, and mindfulness programs.
Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing?
Dr. Tennyson: I am proud that I took a nontraditional path after training to do what I enjoy and find rewarding. I received certification during GI fellowship at Mount Sinai [N.Y.] as a physician nutrition specialist. I later completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona, received certification in lifestyle medicine, and completed coursework in culinary medicine. I really enjoyed doing locums work taking care of patients in other parts of the country, like Mississippi or Maine. I’ve enjoyed working in more rural areas and bringing some innovative programs to the community.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Tennyson: Dr. Anthony Grieco while I was a student at NYU. He is an astute clinician, always listened to his patients, loved clinical medicine, and had an endless fund of knowledge. I wanted to be a doctor like him. During my fellowship at Mount Sinai, I was also exposed to many great mentors including Dr. Lloyd Mayer, Dr. Jerome Waye, Dr. Steve Itzkowitz, and Dr. Blair Lewis who encouraged my interest in nutrition and small bowel diseases.
Lightning round
What's your superpower?
Finding fun in mundane things
Favorite movie to quote?
The Princess Bride
What is your favorite form of exercise?
A hike in the woods
Name one thing on your bucket list.
Galapagos Islands trip before my kids grow up
Cats or dogs?
Dogs
Summer or winter?
Summer
Someone once told Christina Tennyson, MD, that clinical medicine was a grind. Instead of veering away from the profession, she dove in. Medicine will always have its frustrations, she acknowledged.
However, “finding areas that interest me and incorporating those into clinical practice has really helped me enjoy the practice of medicine,” said Dr. Tennyson, who works at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va.
It has also inspired her to think outside the box in her gastroenterology practice. What her patients eat and the lifestyle choices they make is a central focus of her work.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Tennyson: I always had an interest in nutrition. During training at medical school at NYU [New York University], I also really loved learning all I could about internal medicine. I worked with a great surgical team as a student and enjoyed being in the operating room. Although I knew I didn’t want to enter surgery, the experience encouraged me to pursue gastroenterology as it involved nutrition, internal medicine, and procedures as well as my favorite organ, the small bowel. I worked with some great mentors in gastroenterology, such as Dr. David Metz and Dr. Dave Katzka, at the University of Pennsylvania as a resident. I enjoyed taking care of patients with both acute and chronic conditions as well as the mix of doing procedures and seeing patients in the office. It also provided me the opportunity to incorporate nutrition into my clinical practice.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Tennyson: I enjoy helping my patients make meaningful lifestyle changes that can positively impact digestive health and well-being. I try to address topics related to lifestyle medicine in most of my clinical visits including eating more fiber/plants, exercise, positive relationships, and stress management. Many of the conditions we treat as gastroenterologists can benefit from addressing aspects of lifestyle along with our conventional medical therapies. I reinforce that attention to these areas can make a difference. I enjoy sharing recipes, books, and websites that I have found helpful.
Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career?
Dr. Tennyson: After fellowship, I joined the faculty at Columbia University and worked at the Celiac Disease Center seeing patients, teaching, and performing clinical research under the mentorship of Peter Green, MD, and Suzanne Lewis, MD. It was a great opportunity to learn and practice in a tertiary center. I later switched roles and joined a general multispecialty community practice in Brooklyn [N.Y.] affiliated with an academic medical center. After practicing in New York for 10 years, I left my clinical practice and performed locums work for several years in underserved rural areas. I enjoyed working in rural areas and took a permanent position at a community hospital in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Tennyson: The small, rural community hospital where I currently work does not have the same resources and staffing as urban tertiary centers. While we are taking care of the community in our general gastroenterology practice, we’ve also launched an integrated care model in our hospital. We have collaborated with behavioral health, dietitians, nurses, health coaches, exercise physiologists as well as other members of the community, including farmers and a chef. We have performed some innovative, engaging programs, including fermentation workshops, cooking classes, farm walks, and mindfulness programs.
Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing?
Dr. Tennyson: I am proud that I took a nontraditional path after training to do what I enjoy and find rewarding. I received certification during GI fellowship at Mount Sinai [N.Y.] as a physician nutrition specialist. I later completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona, received certification in lifestyle medicine, and completed coursework in culinary medicine. I really enjoyed doing locums work taking care of patients in other parts of the country, like Mississippi or Maine. I’ve enjoyed working in more rural areas and bringing some innovative programs to the community.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Tennyson: Dr. Anthony Grieco while I was a student at NYU. He is an astute clinician, always listened to his patients, loved clinical medicine, and had an endless fund of knowledge. I wanted to be a doctor like him. During my fellowship at Mount Sinai, I was also exposed to many great mentors including Dr. Lloyd Mayer, Dr. Jerome Waye, Dr. Steve Itzkowitz, and Dr. Blair Lewis who encouraged my interest in nutrition and small bowel diseases.
Lightning round
What's your superpower?
Finding fun in mundane things
Favorite movie to quote?
The Princess Bride
What is your favorite form of exercise?
A hike in the woods
Name one thing on your bucket list.
Galapagos Islands trip before my kids grow up
Cats or dogs?
Dogs
Summer or winter?
Summer
Someone once told Christina Tennyson, MD, that clinical medicine was a grind. Instead of veering away from the profession, she dove in. Medicine will always have its frustrations, she acknowledged.
However, “finding areas that interest me and incorporating those into clinical practice has really helped me enjoy the practice of medicine,” said Dr. Tennyson, who works at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va.
It has also inspired her to think outside the box in her gastroenterology practice. What her patients eat and the lifestyle choices they make is a central focus of her work.
Q: Why did you choose GI?
Dr. Tennyson: I always had an interest in nutrition. During training at medical school at NYU [New York University], I also really loved learning all I could about internal medicine. I worked with a great surgical team as a student and enjoyed being in the operating room. Although I knew I didn’t want to enter surgery, the experience encouraged me to pursue gastroenterology as it involved nutrition, internal medicine, and procedures as well as my favorite organ, the small bowel. I worked with some great mentors in gastroenterology, such as Dr. David Metz and Dr. Dave Katzka, at the University of Pennsylvania as a resident. I enjoyed taking care of patients with both acute and chronic conditions as well as the mix of doing procedures and seeing patients in the office. It also provided me the opportunity to incorporate nutrition into my clinical practice.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Tennyson: I enjoy helping my patients make meaningful lifestyle changes that can positively impact digestive health and well-being. I try to address topics related to lifestyle medicine in most of my clinical visits including eating more fiber/plants, exercise, positive relationships, and stress management. Many of the conditions we treat as gastroenterologists can benefit from addressing aspects of lifestyle along with our conventional medical therapies. I reinforce that attention to these areas can make a difference. I enjoy sharing recipes, books, and websites that I have found helpful.
Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career?
Dr. Tennyson: After fellowship, I joined the faculty at Columbia University and worked at the Celiac Disease Center seeing patients, teaching, and performing clinical research under the mentorship of Peter Green, MD, and Suzanne Lewis, MD. It was a great opportunity to learn and practice in a tertiary center. I later switched roles and joined a general multispecialty community practice in Brooklyn [N.Y.] affiliated with an academic medical center. After practicing in New York for 10 years, I left my clinical practice and performed locums work for several years in underserved rural areas. I enjoyed working in rural areas and took a permanent position at a community hospital in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.
Dr. Tennyson: The small, rural community hospital where I currently work does not have the same resources and staffing as urban tertiary centers. While we are taking care of the community in our general gastroenterology practice, we’ve also launched an integrated care model in our hospital. We have collaborated with behavioral health, dietitians, nurses, health coaches, exercise physiologists as well as other members of the community, including farmers and a chef. We have performed some innovative, engaging programs, including fermentation workshops, cooking classes, farm walks, and mindfulness programs.
Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing?
Dr. Tennyson: I am proud that I took a nontraditional path after training to do what I enjoy and find rewarding. I received certification during GI fellowship at Mount Sinai [N.Y.] as a physician nutrition specialist. I later completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona, received certification in lifestyle medicine, and completed coursework in culinary medicine. I really enjoyed doing locums work taking care of patients in other parts of the country, like Mississippi or Maine. I’ve enjoyed working in more rural areas and bringing some innovative programs to the community.
Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Tennyson: Dr. Anthony Grieco while I was a student at NYU. He is an astute clinician, always listened to his patients, loved clinical medicine, and had an endless fund of knowledge. I wanted to be a doctor like him. During my fellowship at Mount Sinai, I was also exposed to many great mentors including Dr. Lloyd Mayer, Dr. Jerome Waye, Dr. Steve Itzkowitz, and Dr. Blair Lewis who encouraged my interest in nutrition and small bowel diseases.
Lightning round
What's your superpower?
Finding fun in mundane things
Favorite movie to quote?
The Princess Bride
What is your favorite form of exercise?
A hike in the woods
Name one thing on your bucket list.
Galapagos Islands trip before my kids grow up
Cats or dogs?
Dogs
Summer or winter?
Summer
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<root generator="drupal.xsl" gversion="1.7"> <header> <fileName>161678</fileName> <TBEID>0C047866.SIG</TBEID> <TBUniqueIdentifier>MD_0C047866</TBUniqueIdentifier> <newsOrJournal>News</newsOrJournal> <publisherName>Frontline Medical Communications</publisherName> <storyname>Tennyson profile GI/Hep</storyname> <articleType>2</articleType> <TBLocation>QC Done-All Pubs</TBLocation> <QCDate>20230123T115328</QCDate> <firstPublished>20230125T153240</firstPublished> <LastPublished>20230125T153241</LastPublished> <pubStatus qcode="stat:"/> <embargoDate>20230301T000000</embargoDate> <killDate/> <CMSDate>20230301T000000</CMSDate> <articleSource/> <facebookInfo/> <meetingNumber/> <byline>Jennifer Lubell</byline> <bylineText>JENNIFER LUBELL</bylineText> <bylineFull>JENNIFER LUBELL</bylineFull> <bylineTitleText>MDedge News</bylineTitleText> <USOrGlobal/> <wireDocType/> <newsDocType/> <journalDocType/> <linkLabel/> <pageRange/> <citation/> <quizID/> <indexIssueDate/> <itemClass qcode="ninat:text"/> <provider qcode="provider:imng"> <name>IMNG Medical Media</name> <rightsInfo> <copyrightHolder> <name>Frontline Medical News</name> </copyrightHolder> <copyrightNotice>Copyright (c) 2015 Frontline Medical News, a Frontline Medical Communications Inc. company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>In an interview, she talked about the rewards and challenges of practicing medicine in a rural area and embracing lifestyle medicine to improve the health of pa</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage>292451</teaserImage> <teaser>“We have collaborated with behavioral health, dietitians, nurses, health coaches, exercise physiologists as well as other members of the community, including farmers and a chef.”</teaser> <title>Culinary medicine guides rural GI doctor’s career</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords/> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term canonical="true">73428</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links> <link> <itemClass qcode="ninat:picture"/> <altRep contenttype="image/jpeg">images/2401182c.jpg</altRep> <description role="drol:caption">Dr. Christina Tennyson</description> <description role="drol:credit">Firefly Photography</description> </link> </links> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>Culinary medicine guides rural GI doctor’s career</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p>Someone once told Christina Tennyson, MD, that clinical medicine was a grind. Instead of veering away from the profession, she dove in. Medicine will always have its frustrations, she acknowledged.</p> <p>However, “finding areas that interest me and incorporating those into clinical practice has really helped me enjoy the practice of medicine,” said Dr. Tennyson, who works at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va.<br/><br/>[[{"fid":"292451","view_mode":"medstat_image_flush_left","fields":{"format":"medstat_image_flush_left","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dr. Christina Tennyson, Augusta Health, Fishersville, Va.","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"Firefly Photography","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Dr. Christina Tennyson"},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-medstat_image_flush_left"}}]]It has also inspired her to think outside the box in her gastroenterology practice. What her patients eat and the lifestyle choices they make is a central focus of her work. <span class="tag metaDescription">In an interview, she talked about the rewards and challenges of practicing medicine in a rural area and embracing lifestyle medicine to improve the health of patients with digestive diseases.</span></p> <p><strong>Q: Why did you choose GI? </strong><strong>Dr. Tennyson:</strong> I always had an interest in nutrition. During training at medical school at NYU [New York University], I also really loved learning all I could about internal medicine. I worked with a great surgical team as a student and enjoyed being in the operating room. Although I knew I didn’t want to enter surgery, the experience encouraged me to pursue gastroenterology as it involved nutrition, internal medicine, and procedures as well as my favorite organ, the small bowel. I worked with some great mentors in gastroenterology, such as Dr. David Metz and Dr. Dave Katzka, at the University of Pennsylvania as a resident. I enjoyed taking care of patients with both acute and chronic conditions as well as the mix of doing procedures and seeing patients in the office. It also provided me the opportunity to incorporate nutrition into my clinical practice. </p> <p><strong>Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?<br/><br/>Dr. Tennyson:</strong> I enjoy helping my patients make meaningful lifestyle changes that can positively impact digestive health and well-being. I try to address topics related to lifestyle medicine in most of my clinical visits including eating more fiber/plants, exercise, positive relationships, and stress management. Many of the conditions we treat as gastroenterologists can benefit from addressing aspects of lifestyle along with our conventional medical therapies. I reinforce that attention to these areas can make a difference. I enjoy sharing recipes, books, and websites that I have found helpful. </p> <p><strong>Q: How has your job changed since you first began your career?</strong><strong>Dr. Tennyson:</strong> After fellowship, I joined the faculty at Columbia University and worked at the Celiac Disease Center seeing patients, teaching, and performing clinical research under the mentorship of Peter Green, MD, and Suzanne Lewis, MD. It was a great opportunity to learn and practice in a tertiary center. I later switched roles and joined a general multispecialty community practice in Brooklyn [N.Y.] affiliated with an academic medical center. After practicing in New York for 10 years, I left my clinical practice and performed locums work for several years in underserved rural areas. I enjoyed working in rural areas and took a permanent position at a community hospital in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you are doing to address it.</strong><strong>Dr. Tennyson:</strong> The small, rural community hospital where I currently work does not have the same resources and staffing as urban tertiary centers. While we are taking care of the community in our general gastroenterology practice, we’ve also launched an integrated care model in our hospital. We have collaborated with behavioral health, dietitians, nurses, health coaches, exercise physiologists as well as other members of the community, including farmers and a chef. We have performed some innovative, engaging programs, including fermentation workshops, cooking classes, farm walks, and mindfulness programs. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing?</strong><strong>Dr. Tennyson:</strong> I am proud that I took a nontraditional path after training to do what I enjoy and find rewarding. I received certification during GI fellowship at Mount Sinai [N.Y.] as a physician nutrition specialist. I later completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona, received certification in lifestyle medicine, and completed coursework in culinary medicine. I really enjoyed doing locums work taking care of patients in other parts of the country, like Mississippi or Maine. I’ve enjoyed working in more rural areas and bringing some innovative programs to the community. <br/><br/> <br/><br/><strong>Q: What teacher or mentor had the greatest impact on you?</strong><strong>Dr. Tennyson: </strong>Dr. Anthony Grieco while I was a student at NYU. He is an astute clinician, always listened to his patients, loved clinical medicine, and had an endless fund of knowledge. I wanted to be a doctor like him. During my fellowship at Mount Sinai, I was also exposed to many great mentors including Dr. Lloyd Mayer, Dr. Jerome Waye, Dr. Steve Itzkowitz, and Dr. Blair Lewis who encouraged my interest in nutrition and small bowel diseases. </p> <h2>Lightning round</h2> <p>Superpower: Finding fun in mundane things <br/><br/>Favorite movie to quote: The Princess Bride <br/><br/>What is your favorite form of exercise? A hike in the woods <br/><br/>Name one thing on your bucket list: Galapagos Islands trip before my kids grow up <br/><br/>Cats or dogs? Dogs<br/><br/>Summer or winter? Summer</p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
Setting higher standards for digital health technologies
“It’s influenced the way I see medicine and the work that I do around identifying quality, not in the conventional context in a hospital or a clinic, but applying that lens to the world of technology,” said Dr. Mathews, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
Bringing greater visibility to digital health technologies is part of his life’s work.
“There is now an expectation that high quality must be part of the development process of these new technologies,” said Dr. Mathews.
In particular, he’d like to see noninvasive diagnostic technologies in the gastroenterology world become more patient-centric.
Bringing somebody into the hospital is often inconvenient and disruptive. The field is heading toward technologies that can be used in the home or in an outpatient setting. “I have some research in that area, and I’d love to see it ultimately reach the patient at the bedside, if possible.”
Dr. Mathews is a member of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology and a previous mentee in the Future Leaders Program.
In an interview, Dr. Mathews discussed his push to validate health technologies in the GI field and to make them more transparent to physicians and patients.
Question: Why did you choose GI?
Answer: I think the world of gastroenterology offers a tremendous amount of diversity in the way we manage and treat patients. There’s a huge spectrum of disease. There’s also the procedural aspect, which is very different from a lot of other medical specialties. For me particularly, there’s the opportunity to work on technology as it relates to GI, as well as research in that space.
Q: It seems like gastroenterology involves a lot of detective work. Would you say that’s true?
A: When you think of something like abdominal pain or GI symptoms, any place in the body can cause those symptoms to be present. You have to think broadly about all of the contributing factors, the whole patient as it relates to travel, pets, exposures, food, diet. You really can’t be myopic when you think about all the potential causes.
The name of the game is to provide answers whenever possible, but I will settle for getting someone feeling better, even if we don’t have the answer etched in stone.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A: I work in an academic institution at Johns Hopkins. I really enjoy the direct connection with patients. I’ve switched mostly to a hospital-based practice, which means I’m getting patients at their sickest. It’s really a privilege to provide an opportunity for improvement or support in that context. I also enjoy the teaching and training of the next generation of folks that are going into this field. There’s so much to learn, and I think trying to set that example and teach by doing is a great opportunity, and I really enjoy that as well.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you’re doing to address it.A: One of my focus areas on the research front is about providing greater transparency and validation around health technologies. How do patients know which health technologies to use? How do doctors know which ones to recommend or advocate for?
Q: Can you give an example of a technology of concern?
A: Looking at oncology and mobile apps, one study I coauthored in 2021 found that well over half did not meet physician or patient expectations. These were the most popular and highest rated apps available at the time. It shows that there’s a real disconnect between what the end users – the doctors and the patients – want from these solutions and what’s actually being provided.
There’s a flood of different solutions that are out there, and there really isn’t a streamlined way to know, as a clinician or as a patient, which ones really make a difference clinically and which ones are going to be helpful for you. And that’s been the focus of my research – understanding ways to evaluate technologies that are not so burdensome as to be purely in the realm of academics, but to be pragmatic.
Q: Who has had the strongest influence on your life?
A: I would say my spouse. She’s an academic physician at Hopkins. One of the things she has shown me is the importance of finding alignment in what you do professionally with the sort of goals that you have or the values that you hold as an individual. That’s why I’ve done some nontraditional things in my academic career. It’s really been in search of finding that alignment that matches my interests and goals, as opposed to just doing something because it’s a popular thing to do.
Lightning Round
Favorite sport: Soccer
What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it? 80s pop music
Introvert or extrovert? Introvert
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Optimist or pessimist? Realist
Dr. Mathews is on LinkedIn . His health tech blog is Digital Differential.
“It’s influenced the way I see medicine and the work that I do around identifying quality, not in the conventional context in a hospital or a clinic, but applying that lens to the world of technology,” said Dr. Mathews, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
Bringing greater visibility to digital health technologies is part of his life’s work.
“There is now an expectation that high quality must be part of the development process of these new technologies,” said Dr. Mathews.
In particular, he’d like to see noninvasive diagnostic technologies in the gastroenterology world become more patient-centric.
Bringing somebody into the hospital is often inconvenient and disruptive. The field is heading toward technologies that can be used in the home or in an outpatient setting. “I have some research in that area, and I’d love to see it ultimately reach the patient at the bedside, if possible.”
Dr. Mathews is a member of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology and a previous mentee in the Future Leaders Program.
In an interview, Dr. Mathews discussed his push to validate health technologies in the GI field and to make them more transparent to physicians and patients.
Question: Why did you choose GI?
Answer: I think the world of gastroenterology offers a tremendous amount of diversity in the way we manage and treat patients. There’s a huge spectrum of disease. There’s also the procedural aspect, which is very different from a lot of other medical specialties. For me particularly, there’s the opportunity to work on technology as it relates to GI, as well as research in that space.
Q: It seems like gastroenterology involves a lot of detective work. Would you say that’s true?
A: When you think of something like abdominal pain or GI symptoms, any place in the body can cause those symptoms to be present. You have to think broadly about all of the contributing factors, the whole patient as it relates to travel, pets, exposures, food, diet. You really can’t be myopic when you think about all the potential causes.
The name of the game is to provide answers whenever possible, but I will settle for getting someone feeling better, even if we don’t have the answer etched in stone.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A: I work in an academic institution at Johns Hopkins. I really enjoy the direct connection with patients. I’ve switched mostly to a hospital-based practice, which means I’m getting patients at their sickest. It’s really a privilege to provide an opportunity for improvement or support in that context. I also enjoy the teaching and training of the next generation of folks that are going into this field. There’s so much to learn, and I think trying to set that example and teach by doing is a great opportunity, and I really enjoy that as well.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you’re doing to address it.A: One of my focus areas on the research front is about providing greater transparency and validation around health technologies. How do patients know which health technologies to use? How do doctors know which ones to recommend or advocate for?
Q: Can you give an example of a technology of concern?
A: Looking at oncology and mobile apps, one study I coauthored in 2021 found that well over half did not meet physician or patient expectations. These were the most popular and highest rated apps available at the time. It shows that there’s a real disconnect between what the end users – the doctors and the patients – want from these solutions and what’s actually being provided.
There’s a flood of different solutions that are out there, and there really isn’t a streamlined way to know, as a clinician or as a patient, which ones really make a difference clinically and which ones are going to be helpful for you. And that’s been the focus of my research – understanding ways to evaluate technologies that are not so burdensome as to be purely in the realm of academics, but to be pragmatic.
Q: Who has had the strongest influence on your life?
A: I would say my spouse. She’s an academic physician at Hopkins. One of the things she has shown me is the importance of finding alignment in what you do professionally with the sort of goals that you have or the values that you hold as an individual. That’s why I’ve done some nontraditional things in my academic career. It’s really been in search of finding that alignment that matches my interests and goals, as opposed to just doing something because it’s a popular thing to do.
Lightning Round
Favorite sport: Soccer
What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it? 80s pop music
Introvert or extrovert? Introvert
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Optimist or pessimist? Realist
Dr. Mathews is on LinkedIn . His health tech blog is Digital Differential.
“It’s influenced the way I see medicine and the work that I do around identifying quality, not in the conventional context in a hospital or a clinic, but applying that lens to the world of technology,” said Dr. Mathews, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
Bringing greater visibility to digital health technologies is part of his life’s work.
“There is now an expectation that high quality must be part of the development process of these new technologies,” said Dr. Mathews.
In particular, he’d like to see noninvasive diagnostic technologies in the gastroenterology world become more patient-centric.
Bringing somebody into the hospital is often inconvenient and disruptive. The field is heading toward technologies that can be used in the home or in an outpatient setting. “I have some research in that area, and I’d love to see it ultimately reach the patient at the bedside, if possible.”
Dr. Mathews is a member of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology and a previous mentee in the Future Leaders Program.
In an interview, Dr. Mathews discussed his push to validate health technologies in the GI field and to make them more transparent to physicians and patients.
Question: Why did you choose GI?
Answer: I think the world of gastroenterology offers a tremendous amount of diversity in the way we manage and treat patients. There’s a huge spectrum of disease. There’s also the procedural aspect, which is very different from a lot of other medical specialties. For me particularly, there’s the opportunity to work on technology as it relates to GI, as well as research in that space.
Q: It seems like gastroenterology involves a lot of detective work. Would you say that’s true?
A: When you think of something like abdominal pain or GI symptoms, any place in the body can cause those symptoms to be present. You have to think broadly about all of the contributing factors, the whole patient as it relates to travel, pets, exposures, food, diet. You really can’t be myopic when you think about all the potential causes.
The name of the game is to provide answers whenever possible, but I will settle for getting someone feeling better, even if we don’t have the answer etched in stone.
Q: What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
A: I work in an academic institution at Johns Hopkins. I really enjoy the direct connection with patients. I’ve switched mostly to a hospital-based practice, which means I’m getting patients at their sickest. It’s really a privilege to provide an opportunity for improvement or support in that context. I also enjoy the teaching and training of the next generation of folks that are going into this field. There’s so much to learn, and I think trying to set that example and teach by doing is a great opportunity, and I really enjoy that as well.
Q: Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you’re doing to address it.A: One of my focus areas on the research front is about providing greater transparency and validation around health technologies. How do patients know which health technologies to use? How do doctors know which ones to recommend or advocate for?
Q: Can you give an example of a technology of concern?
A: Looking at oncology and mobile apps, one study I coauthored in 2021 found that well over half did not meet physician or patient expectations. These were the most popular and highest rated apps available at the time. It shows that there’s a real disconnect between what the end users – the doctors and the patients – want from these solutions and what’s actually being provided.
There’s a flood of different solutions that are out there, and there really isn’t a streamlined way to know, as a clinician or as a patient, which ones really make a difference clinically and which ones are going to be helpful for you. And that’s been the focus of my research – understanding ways to evaluate technologies that are not so burdensome as to be purely in the realm of academics, but to be pragmatic.
Q: Who has had the strongest influence on your life?
A: I would say my spouse. She’s an academic physician at Hopkins. One of the things she has shown me is the importance of finding alignment in what you do professionally with the sort of goals that you have or the values that you hold as an individual. That’s why I’ve done some nontraditional things in my academic career. It’s really been in search of finding that alignment that matches my interests and goals, as opposed to just doing something because it’s a popular thing to do.
Lightning Round
Favorite sport: Soccer
What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it? 80s pop music
Introvert or extrovert? Introvert
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Optimist or pessimist? Realist
Dr. Mathews is on LinkedIn . His health tech blog is Digital Differential.
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All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>Gastroenterologist Simon C. Mathews, MD, sees himself as a disciple of patient safety and quality improvement.</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage>291823</teaserImage> <teaser>“There really isn’t a streamlined way to know, as a clinician or as a patient, which [health technologies] really make a difference clinically and which ones are going to be helpful for you,” says Dr. Simon C. Mathews.</teaser> <title>Setting higher standards for digital health technologies</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords/> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term canonical="true">73428</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links> <link> <itemClass qcode="ninat:picture"/> <altRep contenttype="image/jpeg">images/24011736.jpg</altRep> <description role="drol:caption">Dr. Simon J. Mathews</description> <description role="drol:credit"/> </link> </links> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>Setting higher standards for digital health technologies</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p> <span class="tag metaDescription">Gastroenterologist Simon C. Mathews, MD, sees himself as a disciple of patient safety and quality improvement. </span> </p> <p>“It’s influenced the way I see medicine and the work that I do around identifying quality, not in the conventional context in a hospital or a clinic, but applying that lens to the world of technology,” said Dr. Mathews, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.<br/><br/><span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-019-0111-3">Bringing greater visibility</a></span> to digital health technologies is part of his life’s work. <br/><br/>[[{"fid":"291823","view_mode":"medstat_image_flush_right","fields":{"format":"medstat_image_flush_right","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dr. Simon J. Mathews, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Dr. Simon J. Mathews"},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-medstat_image_flush_right"}}]]“There is now an expectation that high quality must be part of the development process of these new technologies,” said Dr. Mathews. <br/><br/>In particular, he’d like to see noninvasive diagnostic technologies in the gastroenterology world become more patient-centric.<br/><br/>Bringing somebody into the hospital is often inconvenient and disruptive. The field is heading toward technologies that can be used in the home or in an outpatient setting. “I have some research in that area, and I’d love to see it ultimately reach the patient at the bedside, if possible.”<br/><br/>Dr. Mathews is a member of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology and a previous mentee in the Future Leaders Program.<br/><br/>In an interview, Dr. Mathews discussed his push to validate health technologies in the GI field and to make them more transparent to physicians and patients. </p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> <strong>Why did you choose GI?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>Answer:</strong> I think the world of gastroenterology offers a tremendous amount of diversity in the way we manage and treat patients. There’s a huge spectrum of disease. There’s also the procedural aspect, which is very different from a lot of other medical specialties. For me particularly, there’s the opportunity to work on technology as it relates to GI, as well as research in that space. <br/><br/><strong>Q:</strong> <strong>It seems like gastroenterology involves a lot of detective work. Would you say that’s true?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>A:</strong> When you think of something like abdominal pain or GI symptoms, any place in the body can cause those symptoms to be present. You have to think broadly about all of the contributing factors, the whole patient as it relates to travel, pets, exposures, food, diet. You really can’t be myopic when you think about all the potential causes. </p> <p>The name of the game is to provide answers whenever possible, but I will settle for getting someone feeling better, even if we don’t have the answer etched in stone.</p> <p><strong>Q:</strong> <strong>What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>A:</strong> I work in an academic institution at Johns Hopkins. I really enjoy the direct connection with patients. I’ve switched mostly to a hospital-based practice, which means I’m getting patients at their sickest. It’s really a privilege to provide an opportunity for improvement or support in that context. I also enjoy the teaching and training of the next generation of folks that are going into this field. There’s so much to learn, and I think trying to set that example and teach by doing is a great opportunity, and I really enjoy that as well.<br/><br/><strong>Q:</strong> <strong>Describe your biggest practice-related challenge and what you’re doing to address it.</strong><strong>A:</strong> One of my focus areas on the research front is about providing greater transparency and validation around health technologies. How do patients know which health technologies to use? How do doctors know which ones to recommend or advocate for? <br/><br/><strong>Q:</strong> <strong>Can you give an example of a technology of concern?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>A:</strong> Looking at oncology and mobile apps, <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-021-00476-7?mc_cid=60d04ac1d7&mc_eid=e6c32a3624">one study I coauthored</a></span> in 2021 found that well over half did not meet physician or patient expectations. These were the most popular and highest rated apps available at the time. It shows that there’s a real disconnect between what the end users – the doctors and the patients – want from these solutions and what’s actually being provided. </p> <p>There’s a flood of different solutions that are out there, and there really isn’t a streamlined way to know, as a clinician or as a patient, which ones really make a difference clinically and which ones are going to be helpful for you. And that’s been the focus of my research – understanding ways to evaluate technologies that are not so burdensome as to be purely in the realm of academics, but to be pragmatic. </p> <p><strong>Q: Who has had the strongest influence on your life?</strong> <br/><br/><strong>A:</strong> I would say my spouse. She’s an academic physician at Hopkins. One of the things she has shown me is the importance of finding alignment in what you do professionally with the sort of goals that you have or the values that you hold as an individual. That’s why I’ve done some nontraditional things in my academic career. It’s really been in search of finding that alignment that matches my interests and goals, as opposed to just doing something because it’s a popular thing to do. </p> <p><em>Dr. Mathews is on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonmathews">LinkedIn</a> . His health tech blog is <a href="https://www.digitaldifferential.com">Digital Differential</a> .<br/><br/></em><br/><br/><br/><br/>Lightning Round<br/><br/><br/><br/>Favorite sport: Soccer <br/><br/>What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it? 80s pop music <br/><br/>Introvert or extrovert? Introvert<br/><br/>Favorite holiday: Christmas <br/><br/>Optimist or pessimist? Realist</p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
Miami hepatologist leverages Golden Rule to balance work, family, address health equities
Hepatologist Patricia Denise Jones, MD, recollects the balancing act of going through medical training while caring for her four children.
“I had them at every stage: my first one as a medical student; twins when I was a resident, and my last one at the end of fellowship. It was challenging, trying to put their needs first while trying to be a great doctor, learning how to do research,” said Dr. Jones, an associate professor at the University of Miami Health system.
She has no regrets. “I think I’m a better doctor and colleague because I have children. Showing my kids how important it is to help and serve others is one of the best legacies I can leave them.”
If there’s anything she’d like to fix, it’s the healthcare delivery system for patients disproportionately affected by liver disease.
Dr. Jones was selected as 1 of 10 scholars in the inaugural cohort of the National Institutes of Health–funded program Fostering Opportunities Resulting in Workforce and Research Diversity (FORWARD) where she participated in a 2-year program of leadership development, mentorship, and research skills development.
In an interview,
Q: Describe your current practice. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Jones: Being able to make a difference in the lives of patients. A lot of the patients that I take care of have difficulty navigating the health system. That’s the population I feel most inclined to serve. It’s always rewarding to help someone make a connection that they couldn’t make on their own or help them understand something that wasn’t clear. Knowing that you’re helping someone to live a healthier life is deeply gratifying.
Q: Tell me about your patient population.
Dr. Jones: My focus is patients with liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma specifically, and cirrhosis patients. They tend to be sick relative to most Americans. I also take care of people who have other forms of liver disease like fatty liver and viral hepatitis. I live in Miami, so most of the patients that I take care of are going to be Hispanic. A good percentage are immigrants with limited health literacy.
Q: What is your biggest practice-related challenge? What are you doing to address it?
Dr. Jones: Lack of insurance and underinsurance. One patient of mine with Medicare and Humana has a carve out: She can see me and some of my colleagues but not the oncologist or a radiation oncologist. For her to be seen in our center, she would have to get a referral from a doctor in a different county. This makes no sense. It’s a hard problem to solve. To me, that’s the most challenging thing – not being able to help when something is beyond my control, beyond what I understand, and translating it into action.
Q: What general principles guide you in your professional and personal life?
Dr. Jones: I try to think of the Golden Rule in every encounter with a person, either in clinic or in real life, as if they were my mother or sister. If I’m frustrated or having a bad day, what would I want that person’s experience to be with their doctor? I also try to assume the best possible intent with people.
Q: What teacher, mentor, or other influences had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Jones: My father. He started out as a salesman, worked in legislation, and then retired early to focus on and build up our community, making sure that we were better off than we were before. In terms of my professional life, Robert Sandler, MD is one of my greatest mentors. He is at the University of North Carolina and was the division chief of gastroenterology. He saw potential in me and supports me to this day. If you need something, he’s there. If you need him to comment on your draft, he’s very reliable and gives you great, critical feedback.
Q: In 10 years, what do you hope you are doing or what do you hope you have accomplished?
Dr. Jones: In 10 years, I hope that my efforts will have revolutionized our approach to delivering care to vulnerable populations. Much of the work that has been done thus far in the field of disparities and liver disease has focused on describing the inequities. However, I have just started working in health equity. This will require partnering with patients and caregivers to get a better understanding of their needs and collaborating with legislators to increase funding directed towards building the infrastructure necessary to deliver health care to those who have been forgotten.
Lightning round questions
Favorite movie, show, or book
Forrest Gump, Blackish, anything by Toni Morrison
Favorite music genre
Hip Hop
Favorite food
Seafood
Favorite travel destination
Tanzania
Your ideal type of pet
Dog
Optimist or pessimist?
Optimist!
Dr. Jones is on Twitter @DrLiverPatty.
Hepatologist Patricia Denise Jones, MD, recollects the balancing act of going through medical training while caring for her four children.
“I had them at every stage: my first one as a medical student; twins when I was a resident, and my last one at the end of fellowship. It was challenging, trying to put their needs first while trying to be a great doctor, learning how to do research,” said Dr. Jones, an associate professor at the University of Miami Health system.
She has no regrets. “I think I’m a better doctor and colleague because I have children. Showing my kids how important it is to help and serve others is one of the best legacies I can leave them.”
If there’s anything she’d like to fix, it’s the healthcare delivery system for patients disproportionately affected by liver disease.
Dr. Jones was selected as 1 of 10 scholars in the inaugural cohort of the National Institutes of Health–funded program Fostering Opportunities Resulting in Workforce and Research Diversity (FORWARD) where she participated in a 2-year program of leadership development, mentorship, and research skills development.
In an interview,
Q: Describe your current practice. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Jones: Being able to make a difference in the lives of patients. A lot of the patients that I take care of have difficulty navigating the health system. That’s the population I feel most inclined to serve. It’s always rewarding to help someone make a connection that they couldn’t make on their own or help them understand something that wasn’t clear. Knowing that you’re helping someone to live a healthier life is deeply gratifying.
Q: Tell me about your patient population.
Dr. Jones: My focus is patients with liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma specifically, and cirrhosis patients. They tend to be sick relative to most Americans. I also take care of people who have other forms of liver disease like fatty liver and viral hepatitis. I live in Miami, so most of the patients that I take care of are going to be Hispanic. A good percentage are immigrants with limited health literacy.
Q: What is your biggest practice-related challenge? What are you doing to address it?
Dr. Jones: Lack of insurance and underinsurance. One patient of mine with Medicare and Humana has a carve out: She can see me and some of my colleagues but not the oncologist or a radiation oncologist. For her to be seen in our center, she would have to get a referral from a doctor in a different county. This makes no sense. It’s a hard problem to solve. To me, that’s the most challenging thing – not being able to help when something is beyond my control, beyond what I understand, and translating it into action.
Q: What general principles guide you in your professional and personal life?
Dr. Jones: I try to think of the Golden Rule in every encounter with a person, either in clinic or in real life, as if they were my mother or sister. If I’m frustrated or having a bad day, what would I want that person’s experience to be with their doctor? I also try to assume the best possible intent with people.
Q: What teacher, mentor, or other influences had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Jones: My father. He started out as a salesman, worked in legislation, and then retired early to focus on and build up our community, making sure that we were better off than we were before. In terms of my professional life, Robert Sandler, MD is one of my greatest mentors. He is at the University of North Carolina and was the division chief of gastroenterology. He saw potential in me and supports me to this day. If you need something, he’s there. If you need him to comment on your draft, he’s very reliable and gives you great, critical feedback.
Q: In 10 years, what do you hope you are doing or what do you hope you have accomplished?
Dr. Jones: In 10 years, I hope that my efforts will have revolutionized our approach to delivering care to vulnerable populations. Much of the work that has been done thus far in the field of disparities and liver disease has focused on describing the inequities. However, I have just started working in health equity. This will require partnering with patients and caregivers to get a better understanding of their needs and collaborating with legislators to increase funding directed towards building the infrastructure necessary to deliver health care to those who have been forgotten.
Lightning round questions
Favorite movie, show, or book
Forrest Gump, Blackish, anything by Toni Morrison
Favorite music genre
Hip Hop
Favorite food
Seafood
Favorite travel destination
Tanzania
Your ideal type of pet
Dog
Optimist or pessimist?
Optimist!
Dr. Jones is on Twitter @DrLiverPatty.
Hepatologist Patricia Denise Jones, MD, recollects the balancing act of going through medical training while caring for her four children.
“I had them at every stage: my first one as a medical student; twins when I was a resident, and my last one at the end of fellowship. It was challenging, trying to put their needs first while trying to be a great doctor, learning how to do research,” said Dr. Jones, an associate professor at the University of Miami Health system.
She has no regrets. “I think I’m a better doctor and colleague because I have children. Showing my kids how important it is to help and serve others is one of the best legacies I can leave them.”
If there’s anything she’d like to fix, it’s the healthcare delivery system for patients disproportionately affected by liver disease.
Dr. Jones was selected as 1 of 10 scholars in the inaugural cohort of the National Institutes of Health–funded program Fostering Opportunities Resulting in Workforce and Research Diversity (FORWARD) where she participated in a 2-year program of leadership development, mentorship, and research skills development.
In an interview,
Q: Describe your current practice. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice?
Dr. Jones: Being able to make a difference in the lives of patients. A lot of the patients that I take care of have difficulty navigating the health system. That’s the population I feel most inclined to serve. It’s always rewarding to help someone make a connection that they couldn’t make on their own or help them understand something that wasn’t clear. Knowing that you’re helping someone to live a healthier life is deeply gratifying.
Q: Tell me about your patient population.
Dr. Jones: My focus is patients with liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma specifically, and cirrhosis patients. They tend to be sick relative to most Americans. I also take care of people who have other forms of liver disease like fatty liver and viral hepatitis. I live in Miami, so most of the patients that I take care of are going to be Hispanic. A good percentage are immigrants with limited health literacy.
Q: What is your biggest practice-related challenge? What are you doing to address it?
Dr. Jones: Lack of insurance and underinsurance. One patient of mine with Medicare and Humana has a carve out: She can see me and some of my colleagues but not the oncologist or a radiation oncologist. For her to be seen in our center, she would have to get a referral from a doctor in a different county. This makes no sense. It’s a hard problem to solve. To me, that’s the most challenging thing – not being able to help when something is beyond my control, beyond what I understand, and translating it into action.
Q: What general principles guide you in your professional and personal life?
Dr. Jones: I try to think of the Golden Rule in every encounter with a person, either in clinic or in real life, as if they were my mother or sister. If I’m frustrated or having a bad day, what would I want that person’s experience to be with their doctor? I also try to assume the best possible intent with people.
Q: What teacher, mentor, or other influences had the greatest impact on you?
Dr. Jones: My father. He started out as a salesman, worked in legislation, and then retired early to focus on and build up our community, making sure that we were better off than we were before. In terms of my professional life, Robert Sandler, MD is one of my greatest mentors. He is at the University of North Carolina and was the division chief of gastroenterology. He saw potential in me and supports me to this day. If you need something, he’s there. If you need him to comment on your draft, he’s very reliable and gives you great, critical feedback.
Q: In 10 years, what do you hope you are doing or what do you hope you have accomplished?
Dr. Jones: In 10 years, I hope that my efforts will have revolutionized our approach to delivering care to vulnerable populations. Much of the work that has been done thus far in the field of disparities and liver disease has focused on describing the inequities. However, I have just started working in health equity. This will require partnering with patients and caregivers to get a better understanding of their needs and collaborating with legislators to increase funding directed towards building the infrastructure necessary to deliver health care to those who have been forgotten.
Lightning round questions
Favorite movie, show, or book
Forrest Gump, Blackish, anything by Toni Morrison
Favorite music genre
Hip Hop
Favorite food
Seafood
Favorite travel destination
Tanzania
Your ideal type of pet
Dog
Optimist or pessimist?
Optimist!
Dr. Jones is on Twitter @DrLiverPatty.
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All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>Dr. Jones discussed her life’s work to address and research disparities in liver disease and cancer – and the motto that gets her through every day.</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage>290923</teaserImage> <teaser>“Showing my kids how important it is to help and serve others is one of the best legacies I can leave them.”</teaser> <title>Miami hepatologist leverages Golden Rule to balance work, family, address health equities</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords/> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>gih</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">17</term> </publications> <sections> <term>39313</term> <term canonical="true">73428</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">27442</term> </topics> <links> <link> <itemClass qcode="ninat:picture"/> <altRep contenttype="image/jpeg">images/24011548.jpg</altRep> <description role="drol:caption">Dr. Patricia Jones in Tanzania.</description> <description role="drol:credit">Latosha Y. Flowers, MD</description> </link> </links> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>Miami hepatologist leverages Golden Rule to balance work, family, address health equities</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p>Hepatologist <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://doctors.umiamihealth.org/provider/Patricia+D+Jones/525791?_ga=2.5200177.349018559.1667216031-1285478674.1667216031">Patricia Denise Jones</a></span>, MD, recollects the balancing act of going through medical training while caring for her four children.</p> <p>“I had them at every stage: my first one as a medical student; twins when I was a resident, and my last one at the end of fellowship. It was challenging, trying to put their needs first while trying to be a great doctor, learning how to do research,” said Dr. Jones, an associate professor at the University of Miami Health system. <br/><br/>[[{"fid":"290923","view_mode":"medstat_image_flush_right","fields":{"format":"medstat_image_flush_right","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dr. Patricia Jones","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"Latosha Y. Flowers, MD","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Dr. Patricia Jones in Tanzania."},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-medstat_image_flush_right"}}]]She has no regrets. “I think I’m a better doctor and colleague because I have children. Showing my kids how important it is to help and serve others is one of the best legacies I can leave them.”<br/><br/>If there’s anything she’d like to fix, it’s the healthcare delivery system for patients disproportionately affected by liver disease. <br/><br/>Dr. Jones was selected as 1 of 10 scholars in the inaugural cohort of the National Institutes of Health–funded program Fostering Opportunities Resulting in Workforce and Research Diversity (FORWARD) where she participated in a 2-year program of leadership development, mentorship, and research skills development.<br/><br/>In an interview,<span class="tag metaDescription"> Dr. Jones discussed her life’s work to address and research disparities in liver disease and cancer – and the motto that gets her through every day.</span> <br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q:</strong> Describe your current practice. What gives you the most joy in your day-to-day practice? <br/><br/><strong>Dr. Jones:</strong> Being able to make a difference in the lives of patients. A lot of the patients that I take care of have difficulty navigating the health system. That’s the population I feel most inclined to serve. It’s always rewarding to help someone make a connection that they couldn’t make on their own or help them understand something that wasn’t clear. Knowing that you’re helping someone to live a healthier life is deeply gratifying. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Q:</strong> Tell me about your patient population.<br/><br/><strong>Dr. Jones:</strong> My focus is patients with liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma specifically, and cirrhosis patients. They tend to be sick relative to most Americans. I also take care of people who have other forms of liver disease like fatty liver and viral hepatitis. I live in Miami, so most of the patients that I take care of are going to be Hispanic. A good percentage are immigrants with limited health literacy.</p> <p><strong>Q:</strong> What is your biggest practice-related challenge? What are you doing to address it? <br/><br/><strong>Dr. Jones:</strong> Lack of insurance and underinsurance. One patient of mine with Medicare and Humana has a carve out: She can see me and some of my colleagues but not the oncologist or a radiation oncologist. For her to be seen in our center, she would have to get a referral from a doctor in a different county. This makes no sense. It’s a hard problem to solve. To me, that’s the most challenging thing – not being able to help when something is beyond my control, beyond what I understand, and translating it into action. </p> <p><strong>Q:</strong> What general principles guide you in your professional and personal life?<br/><br/><strong>Dr. Jones: </strong>I try to think of the Golden Rule in every encounter with a person, either in clinic or in real life, as if they were my mother or sister. If I’m frustrated or having a bad day, what would I want that person’s experience to be with their doctor? I also try to assume the best possible intent with people.</p> <p class="Normal"><strong>Q:</strong> What teacher, mentor, or other influences had the greatest impact on you? <br/><br/><strong>Dr. Jones:</strong> My father. He started out as a salesman, worked in legislation, and then retired early to focus on and build up our community, making sure that we were better off than we were before. In terms of my professional life, <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://sph.unc.edu/adv_profile/robert-s-sandler-md/">Robert Sandler, MD</a></span> is one of my greatest mentors. He is at the University of North Carolina and was the division chief of gastroenterology. He saw potential in me and supports me to this day. If you need something, he’s there. If you need him to comment on your draft, he’s very reliable and gives you great, critical feedback.<br/><br/></p> <p><strong>Q: </strong>In 10 years, what do you hope you are doing or what do you hope you have accomplished?<br/><br/><strong>Dr. Jones: </strong>In 10 years, I hope that my efforts will have revolutionized our approach to delivering care to vulnerable populations. Much of the work that has been done thus far in the field of disparities and liver disease has focused on describing the inequities. However, I have just started working in health equity. This will require partnering with patients and caregivers to get a better understanding of their needs and collaborating with legislators to increase funding directed towards building the infrastructure necessary to deliver health care to those who have been forgotten.</p> <h2><br/><br/>Lightning round questions</h2> <p><strong>Favorite movie, show, or book<br/><br/></strong>Forrest Gump, Blackish, anything by Toni Morrison<br/><br/><strong>Favorite music genre<br/><br/></strong>Hip Hop<br/><br/><strong>Favorite food<br/><br/></strong>Seafood<br/><br/><strong>Favorite travel destination<br/><br/></strong>Tanzania <br/><br/><strong>Your ideal type of pet <br/><br/></strong>Dog<br/><br/><strong>Optimist or pessimist?<br/><br/></strong>Optimist!</p> <p> <em> <em>Dr. Jones is on Twitter </em> <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://twitter.com/drliverpatty?lang=en">@DrLiverPatty</a>.</span> </em> </p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>
