As you reflect on your time at CI MED, what stands out now? 

I believe the problem-solving mindset CI MED instilled in me has been a driving force in my continued education. It has pushed me to look at challenges as opportunities and to understand the mechanisms behind the guiding principles in my field. 

Why did you want to go into obstetrics/gynecology, and how did your experience at CI MED prepare you?

Women's health and the physiology behind the female reproductive system drove my desire to attend medical school. I was not surprised to be drawn to the female reproduction unit and OB/GYN clerkship. The prospect to facilitate care in some of the most intimate moments in people's lives, from delivery to death, has continued to drive my passion for the field. The medical and surgical split of the field was an added benefit.

Dr. Jennings, Dr. Opoku, and Dr. Whitmore were a few of the Carle OB/GYNs who helped me gain early exposure to the field and provided me with opportunities and feedback as a rising medical student that shaped me into the resident I am today. I'm grateful to them for their guidance and support!

How do you see yourself making an impact on patient care? Rush University Medical Center has a diverse patient population - what opportunities are there for you to make a difference?

Our diverse patient population at Rush has provided many rewarding patient encounters and spaces for growth as a physician. I feel that it has allowed me to learn from my patients as much as I provide for their care. At this point in my training, I am still taking time to assess the field and my community to see where I could make a difference.

Are you interested in pursuing research at some point during your residency? And if so, what type of research?

Yes! So far, I'm working on a QI (quality improvement) project to incentivize interns to use abdominal palpation to estimate fetal weight. Alas, I have more effort to put into ideating on a research project.

How has your residency experience been so far? Any anecdote or story that stands out from your experience?

Residency has been great! It is certainly the hardest thing I have ever done, but I have an incredible support system in the Rush OB/GYN residents and faculty community. I have had the pleasure of delivering a number of the nurses I work with, I've dabbled in laparoscopic surgery, and followed patients through end-of-life care on gynecologic oncology, all within my first year.

Starting residency on labor and delivery felt like being thrown into the deep end of a pool. Not only was I learning how cervixes felt, but I was also delivering babies for the first time, repairing vaginal lacerations, and doing cesarean sections. While most reproductive age women are healthy and without medical comorbidities, I was quickly humbled when an otherwise asymptomatic postpartum patient had bilateral DVTs [deep vein thrombosis, blood clots that form in deep veins]. I felt nervous that I would miss key details when I counseled her on the diagnosis and treatment. The morning before she left, she greeted me with a hug and said, "Maybe my baby will grow up to be a doctor one day too!" While guiding patients through challenging moments or diagnoses can feel intimidating, these moments are career-affirming.