1. Please share your most interesting case with a patient?
“So many! One that comes to mind recently happened when I first started working at Ridge Meadows Hospital on one of my first on-call shifts. I got a call from one of the physicians working in the intensive care unit regarding an insulin dependent diabetic patient. She was really sick and was from out of country. The patient presented with bad abdominal pain but there was nothing clinically specific. She required some imaging, so we proceeded to do a CT scan. I discovered a really nasty abnormality in her kidney that is quite rare and I probably will not see it in my career again. It was a reminder that any disease really can happen anywhere and that I am thankful I practice general radiology and get to see a wide variety of issues from head to toe! Being the first to see a specific problem, diagnose it and eventually help the patient is really rewarding.”
2. What is the best advice you were given during your time in medical school that has had a lasting impact on your practice?
“The most important thing is to just keep moving forward. Whether that be with ongoing education or forging ahead on challenging work days. Some days are going to be more difficult than others, especially when there are many difficult cases that demand your time and many physicians and other hospital staff needing your help/advice in person or over the phone (which can happen all at once). I have learned to keep in mind that I am only human and can only do so much at once. By prioritizing and making well informed educated decisions all while keeping an eye on the clock, I can do my best under tough conditions.”
3. What are you currently working on that is helping to impact our local medical community and/or local patients?
“The most interesting effective thing myself and the rest of the RMH radiology group are working on is preparing to begin performing MRI. We are expecting the first patient to go through in early November 2020. Hopefully once MRI gets up and running, it will have an immense positive impact on patients and hospital staff. The need is there for MRI in this growing community and the fact that we now have one is extremely important. This will be a huge step for people in our region to have access to better health care in terms of imaging, especially ER patients and inpatients, who will have shorter wait times and not need to transport to other hospitals for urgent MRI.”
4. What is some advice or wisdom you would like to share with your medical staff peers, or any new physicians joining our community?
“The one thing I have noticed working at Ridge Meadows Hospital versus other hospitals is the camaraderie among physician staff. It is among the best I have seen. Opportunities to get to know staff are abundant and taking advantage of them is important. Ridge Meadows Hospital also has a lot of great work to offer for physicians in most specialties for its size. These are very attractive points I want physicians to know if they are considering working here. I am certainly happy here and these things make work that much better!”