Why I chose to pursue a career in healthcare:
I did not grow up planning to be a doctor - my background was very modest and few people in my family had degrees much less MDs. However, I was always a passionate learner. In college, I studied everything from 17th century poetry to biostatistics. As I grew in knowledge, I started to long for ways to apply that knowledge and make the world a better place. I desperately wanted to be useful. I ended up at NIH working in a lab studying gene therapy for children with inherited immunodeficiency. While I loved research, I realized that the best days were those where our young patients visited. Being able to apply science to directly help someone in need became my passion. I am so grateful for that experience, which opened the door to a career I have found immensely fulfilling.
What I want my patients to know about me:
I really care about you! At work, I have to remain calm, focused and detail-oriented to take good care of you. I may talk about your potassium values or your cardiac testing. But at the end of the day, I sit back and reflect on you - not just about your illness but about you as a person, what you are suffering, how hard it is for some of you. I cannot cure every disease, but my goal is to be there with you and support you through the ups and downs of your medical care.
What I do when I'm not seeing patients:
I have a wonderful husband, three growing boys and a variety of furry pets, so life is full! I also care very much about this beautiful world we inhabit; I have a variety of homesteading projects where I try to do my part to live more consciously and sustainably. I'm also still a geek - after a long day of medical charts, soccer practice and home cooking, you'll probably find me reading or listening to Bach.
Ratings and comments display for WellSpan Medical Group employed physicians who have a minimum of 30 completed patient surveys.
