Start Year: 2022
Basics
- Hometown: Teaneck, NJ
- Where did you attend university/college? Columbia University
- Where did you attend medical school? Columbia University
- Where did you attend residency? Massachusetts General Hospital
Fellow Perspective
Tell us briefly about your background before cardiology fellowship?
I grew up in New Jersey as the oldest of three. I became an EMT at 16 in New Jersey and loved everything medical! I stayed near home for college at Columbia University, and subsequently completed my Masters in Biostats while working as the Research Coordinator for the LVAD team at Columbia for two years prior to attending medical school. After graduating from Columbia Med I decided to broaden my geographical horizons and completed my Internal Medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Residency confirmed my long-term love of cardiology, and was very excited to move with my husband to Duke to complete Cardiology Fellowship. I had my daughter, Noa, during my second year of cardiology training and have truly felt at home with my new Duke Family.
What are your career plans in cardiology?
I plan to pursue a career as a heart failure/transplant cardiologist, with a special interest in the intersection between adult congenital heart disease and heart failure. Duke enabled me to do this by focusing my clinic time during my general years on congenital heart disease so I have a good background to best care for patients with CHD referred to me for heart failure treatment in the future. I hope to focus on this area as both a clinician and a researcher.
Why did you choose Duke for your cardiology fellowship training?
Duke provided the unique overlap of excellent clinical and research training. I felt strongly that as a heart failure/transplant cardiology bound fellow I needed good exposure to all areas of cardiology to understand why no further options existed for patients outside of advanced therapies. Duke’s curriculum provides uniquely deep exposure to all areas of subspecialty care, which has been invaluable in my training. Research wise the Duke Clinical Research Institute is unmatched in terms of academic training for fellows. I knew I wanted to go to Duke and pursue this excellent clinical and research training.
What advice might you offer residents looking at fellowship programs?
Fellowship is time for you to get the best well-rounded training possible. No matter what area of cardiology you go into, general or sub specialized, you will need a good foundation in all areas of cardiology to be the best clinician you can be. Find somewhere that excels not only in training you for your final goals in cardiology, but also as a well-rounded cardiologist.
What do you enjoy doing in the Triangle area outside of work?
We love all of the activities for kids to do! We have a very active 1.5 year old who loves all of the museums, parks and outdoor areas to roam. There are many amazing restaurants and breweries that we spend lots of our weekends at relaxing.