May Physician Spotlight: Renata Prado, MD

Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

I don’t remember when I made that decision in my life. I believe that being a physician has been with me since childhood. It is to me more than a career choice. It is a calling. One of my earliest memories is being fascinated by the anatomy pages of our Britannica Encyclopedia, Vol 2. The pages were transparent, and you had one system per page, and together they would form the human body. I must have read those pages a million times before I was 5 years old when I didn’t even really know how to read. I also remember always wanting to help to take care of wounds or people who were ill. My dolls and my brother (who managed to get quite a few stitches in his childhood) were my first patients. Finally, in high school, I absolutely loved all sciences. When we had a chance to dissect a pig in AP Biology (thank you to my teacher, Mrs. Chappell), and I got to see the miracle of the organs that allow us to live, not just on pages of a book, but in real life, I had no question that I was going to become a physician.

Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

Three months of my internship was in a rural city in Brazil. It was a time of tremendous growth as a young physician, and exponential learning. Everything we had learned up to this point was finally coming together and put into practice in real life. I remember bringing a suitcase full of heavy books to this town, and we studied so hard (this is before the internet…). However, during those three months, I learned so much more than medicine. We took care of hundreds of people in a rural community, from newborns to elderly. At times, we had to travel through unpaved roads to reach the patients. The community had such gratitude for the little that we had to offer them. They had so much joy and happiness, even though they had a life of hardship. They had an incredible sense of community and families were large and close. There was a lot of gratefulness for each day and each blessing. It was an incredible experience, that elevated me as a physician and a human being.

What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society?

I joined the El Paso County Medical Society as soon as I moved to Colorado Springs, 8 years ago. My colleagues at Vanguard Skin Specialists were members and encouraged me to join. I believe physicians are better for their patients when they work together, collaborate with each other, and support and help one another.

What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

I recommend joining a practice or a group that aligns with your values and your principles, and to continue to pursue meaning in your career. In the book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Viktor Frankl recounts his experiences surviving the Holocaust and describes how our primary motivation to live is to have a meaningful life, and a life with purpose. Experiencing a concentration camp himself, he noted, as a psychiatrist, how a strong sense of meaning made a difference in survival of prisoners. Along these lines, in April last year, Dr. Chung gave an excellent talk at EPMS called “Finding Joy in Medicine,” when he talked about pursuing meaning in medicine. Early this year, Drs. Robert Lam & Markus Hannan gave a talk at EPMS called “Moral Recovery When Your Clinical Practice Creates Moral Injury,” in which they talked about burnout in physicians being a symptom of moral injury that is created when you are faced with decisions and circumstances that do not align with your moral values. These are major problems that affect new and experienced physicians alike, and have tremendous impact in our patient’s care, as well as our own lives. The message of pursuing meaning in your career is such a powerful one, but something that is not discussed in medical school. My advice to young physicians is: reflect upon your purpose and your meaning. Then, when you join a group, just as important as asking about hours, salary, and benefits, ensure that the mission and the values of that practice are aligned with yours. If you are building your own practice (which, unfortunately, less physicians are able to do now a days), build it with a strong sense of values that you believe in and attract similar minded individuals to join you. We spend most of our hours being physicians, and when we can have synergism of our personal life values and our work, we find fulfillment on each day.

What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

My main joy outside of medicine is my boys. I am a mom of a 13- and a 10-year-old, and they are the meaning of my life. Our family loves to travel, bike, and ski.

April Physician Spotlight: Margaret MacDonald, MD

Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

I wanted to be a doctor since I was 3. I am not sure it came from anywhere, as I seem to have been born with the desire to help people. In those days, we didn't know what was possible for the myriad of careers available. You grew up to be a doctor or a lawyer or whatever, so it was in the cards for me. My brain was always interested in all things medical. When I was seven years old, our family doctor made a house call for my mother when she had gallbladder trouble and asked if we had anything in the house for pain. I proudly told him we had Tylenol 3 in the bathroom! (he probably wondered why a seven-year-old would know that )

Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

So many! The most amazingly exhilarating, miraculous thing I ever got to do was deliver babies, and I miss it. During my first five years in family practice, I delivered over 300 babies, almost one every week. It was hard but it was always so fantastic. 

What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society?

Initially, I joined because I am a joiner. I was starting my practice and didn't know anyone in town. I figured it would be a good opportunity. Then, I un-joined due to the pandemic as we all withdrew from many things. I rejoined partly because COPIC reminded me of the zero-sum game, but I have been really glad about the benefits in the few months since. The networking events and sub-committee have led me to meet a few people. The socials are a great opportunity, and I will avail myself of more of those. It's always fun to get to know people. 

The invite for the education sub-committee was another opportunity. Unless I have an excellent reason not to, I usually try things. 

What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

I didn't train in this country, and I know the training is a little different. It is so difficult; by the time you finish everything, you don't feel like you have a lot of choices because even back then, I felt I had so much debt that I had to do certain things a certain way. The best advice is to continue to live like a student, pay your debts off as fast as you can, and then you get to let your heart choose more of where your career path goes. I have never been happier as a doctor since I let go of a prime directive to make money. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

It has changed over the years depending on the time, money available, and the capabilities of this little body. I have always enjoyed the outdoors. I spent ten years as a serious sports skydiver. I learned how to fly airplanes. Now, my faith, peace, and justice activities are my most significant extracurricular activities.

March Physician Spotlight: Hannah Flory, MD

Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

I was always interested in science from very early on. I was fortunate enough to be at a school that offered anatomy classes with dissection in high school. That really got me interested in anatomy and physiology. Through college, I shadowed physicians, particularly surgeons, where I was able to apply the anatomy and physiology I had learned to help out people in times of need. I was always interested in that perspective, which helped me be interested in surgery. One of my grandfathers was a small-town pathologist who was also a source of inspiration. He taught me how rewarding it could be to help your community.

Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

Most surgeries I do are a one-time interaction with the patient, sometimes meeting them in the emergency room. I operate on them, then send the patient on their way. There is a recent one that is more memorable. A young woman in her forties was diagnosed with colon cancer in the emergency room. She didn’t know about it until she came in with a bowel obstruction. I got to know her and her family during that hospital stay, which required surgery and several conversations about the future treatment of her cancer. I placed the port for her chemotherapy and saw her several times throughout her treatments. I was able to recently remove her port, which was an amazing moment for her. That was a recent great experience.  

What led you to become involved in the El Paso County Medical Society?

My husband and I moved here a little over two years ago and didn’t know anybody in the medical community. I had been previously practicing in the city where I had done my medical training, and I had a community to network with and seek advice from. We were looking for the same kind of community here in C/S. One of his partners worked very closely with EPCMS and got us involved. We have been able to meet a lot of people through it.  

What led you to become involved in the EPCMS Membership Engagement Sub-committee?  

It had to do with just starting to go to the meetings. I didn’t recognize many people at the social events—a lot of the people from my own hospital were not there. Talking to my colleagues, many did not know that it was a part of our medical community. I think it is a good way to get people involved who would not otherwise know about these networking or educational opportunities in our town.

What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

The biggest piece of advice is to pick something you really enjoy doing. It takes a lot of your time and can be a frustrating job at times. Often, it is worth all that frustration, but you need to be excited to go to work every day when you may have a tough or long day. It takes you away from your other obligations, family, or hobbies. It can be hard to push through if you are not loving what you are doing.  

What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

Right now, I have a two-year-old who keeps me very busy. Besides that, I like to read fiction. I like to do yoga and explore the Colorado Springs hiking trails with my family.

Dr. Brian Kilmartin

Physician Spotlight Interview Questions: Brian Kilmartin, MD

1. Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

That is a great question. When my parents were moving when I was 18 years old, they found a letter from when I was in kindergarten asking “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I stated I wanted to be a baby heart surgeon; half way to the cardiothoracic surgeon I am today. It was pretty much always on my list. My dad is a pharmacist which also supported my interest in medicine.

2. Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

Recently, there was a patient who came from overseas, joining her family who came here. She needed a heart operation and had a 60% risk of dying before the operation. It was pretty risky. We went ahead with the operation and now she is home with family, recovering well. I think a lot of surgeons would have said no to that operation. Just seeing how happy the family was is very rewarding.

3. What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society?

My partner Dr. Betty Kim is involved with EPCMS and is on the EPCMS Board of Directors. My wife is a surgeon at Memorial North, UCHealth, and I wanted to get more involved with the medical community to see what I can do to help.

4. What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

Find what you like to do. Don’t find what you think other people want you to do. This job can be long. This job can be brutal sometimes and you need to be able to wake up in the morning and enjoy what you do.

5. What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

I used to play rugby for 15 years, even in training. Now I have a two-year-old who happily takes up most of my time. I love spending time with my family!

January Physician Spotlight: Nicole Choy, MD

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Who or what inspired you to become a physician?
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My oldest brother is 14 years older than me, and he became a surgeon, which paved the way for me to pursue medicine.   I knew I wanted to be in a profession where I can help people. I’ve also always loved science and anatomy, and medicine is a combination of all those things.
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Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

During my residency training, I met a patient who motivated me to go into breast oncology. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she struggled a great deal with her diagnosis and treatment. Watching her shift from a patient who was overwhelmed by her breast cancer diagnosis to surviving and overcoming that was inspirational. Being part of the team that helped to get her through that process was something I really enjoyed.    
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What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society leadership?
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Encouragement from my physician friend. I’ve been in Colorado Springs for nine years, and my husband and many of my friends are physicians in the community. Before the pandemic, I had some exposure through society events and meeting people. I lost touch during the pandemic. Following the pandemic, healthcare feels more competitive and crowded with stressors that have nothing to do with medicine, and I think physicians are worn out. The medical society is a space where healthcare providers can come together, get to know each other, and encourage each other to do better as doctors to help their patients.
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What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?
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Remember why you went into it in the first place. Try not to get too bogged down by all the periphery stuff. Lean into yourself, lean on those who care about you, and remember why you want to do it.
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What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?
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I like hanging out with my family, watching movies and eating good food, playing frisbee with my dog, and playing poker (for pride not prize). Sometimes doing nothing and being silly with my kids.

December Physician Spotlight: Andrea Colton, MD

1. Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

I decided to be a physician when I was in 3rd grade.  My grandfather had a heart attack and had a CABG (coronary artery bypass graft surgery) at Cleveland Clinic. All the grandkids went up to see him since we grew up a little over an hour south of Cleveland. In recovery, I saw him with an incision stem to stern, as well as his entire leg from this very invasive surgery. I was intrigued. For my school project that year, we had to write a book. Other kids wrote about their dog or “I flew a kite.” My book was titled “My grandfather’s open-heart surgery.” My grandma and I got an anatomic picture of the heart. We drew the new connections and the blockages, listing the names of the vessels. We also listed all of the medications he was on. It was really cute and I still have it. That was my first exposure to medicine. When I was in junior high my cousin was born with Down syndrome. She had endocardial cushion defects and had surgery to repair those. She was not the seventy-plus-year-old man sitting with all the incisions, she was four months old at the time of surgery and had a one-inch incision on her tiny chest. My mind was blown and from that, I decided I wanted to be a surgeon and fix people.  Fast forward to college and I was working at a hospital in Lexington, KY. I was doing my undergrad in dietetics because my parents encouraged me to do something applicable and not just pre-med. I was always interested in nutrition and sports, so I pursued dietetics. I worked in dietary, then in patient transport at the hospital.  One day a couple of neurosurgeons stopped me in the hall to quickly transport a gentleman who was having a stroke to the MRI machine.  While the guy was getting scanned, they turned to me and inquired why I was doing this job. I told them I wanted to be a surgeon and this opened the door to watched neurosurgery all summer long.   That experience solidified that surgery was what I wanted to do.  

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2. Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

Breast surgery is a different ball game from many other surgical specialties in that we often have a personal relationship with the patient. We see them up to five years after their surgery, sometimes even starting five months before surgery. We get a good sense of who they are, their family, background and such. I started working at Lexington Clinic out of fellowship. Within one month of working there, one of our mammography techs who was only thirty-seven years old, came to me in tears stating she found a mass. We did the workup and it was metaplastic, which is one of the most aggressive types. She said “take it all out”, wanting to be done. Her surgery was in the midst of COVID. No one was allowed to be with her postoperatively due to the pandemic. Since I was her surgeon, I was allowed in and brought food and sat and talked with her for hours because her family couldn’t be there and it just broke my heart. She did well postoperatively.  She had eighteen rounds of chemotherapy and recovered well. Fast forward, we worked together the entire time I was in Kentucky. She helped counsel patients and would show the results of her aesthetic flat closure surgery. She is still cancer-free. At forty, she had a huge celebration. Shortly after she found out she was pregnant, which was a surprise as she assumed her ovaries were done from the chemo. She had a beautiful, perfect daughter. Through that experience, even in the worst-case scenario of young patients with awful diseases, there is still a sense of hope and life after cancer.  

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3. What led you to engage with the El Paso County Medical Society leadership?

In training, you are in an environment where you are always around others in medicine with M&M and academia. People range from fresh out of training to far from training, and all the different mix. At my previous job, I felt like I was on an island. I wasn’t in a university setting, nor was I really able to connect with other physicians in the community.  Part of this could be blamed on COVID, but also, the only medical society there was for retirees.  Now, I am starting over in a new location and I want to meet other physicians. We have a lot of the same concerns and stressors, so mostly I’m looking for the comradery and community this society brings.

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4. What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

Being in surgery, there is a lot of misogyny and malignancy in surgical training. I do think that it is slowly shifting as more females get into surgery and are becoming department heads and program directors. I would tell them, if you are at a place where you are not being heard or taught well, find a new place where you will be. Do not just tolerate it, because things have changed and are continuing to change. Do not just think “this is the way it is,” because it is not. Be yourself. We all have different gifts. Some people are really good at physics and are radiation doctors. I am not that person. Honor the things you are good at, honor your gifts, and go with it. You will be surprised how your authentic self will be accepted, sometimes by your colleagues, but more so by your patients.

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5. What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

I love to travel. I love learning about other cultures. I love eating all the different foods. I am very adventurous. I will try all the things, sometimes they are good and sometimes they are not. I love hiking and being outdoors. I love anything that is adrenaline-filled; I did hang gliding in Switzerland, I hiked approximately three mountains in Switzerland and the tallest mountain in Ireland, which was just over 1000 meters. Not a huge mountain, but it was beautiful! The people in Colorado would laugh at this stating “that is not a mountain”, while the people in Ireland were impressed that I had climbed their mountain; perspective is funny! I did ziplining in Croatia. I’m one of those adventure travel types.   Around here, I have done some hiking but no 14-ers yet. I am still acclimating to the altitude. I love to run and do hot yoga. I run more for my brain than I do my body. I hope to take ski lessons because I feel like I would enjoy the challenge of learning a new sport.  I also like decorating, so there are lots of projects planned in my new house already.  I’ll often build things when I can’t find what I want. I’m working on the plans for a catio and a built-in breakfast nook right now.

November Physician Spotlight: Julia Brinley, DO

1.    Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

Good question! There was not one “aha” moment per say. From a young age, I knew I liked science, particularly biology. I also knew I liked helping and interacting with people. I thought medicine could be a good career path as it combined two things I really enjoyed.  I took the steps and jumped the hurdles of tests, interviews and told myself if I was successful, I would continue the path towards becoming a physician. Along the way I met a lot of great primary care doctors and subspecialists. I also had a lot of great mentors, particularly in college, who pushed me to follow my instincts and passion. I got into the med school I wanted, my top residency and now my dream job. Overall, the inspiration was a combination of small events, passions and hard work that led me to where I am today. I went into medical school wanting to be a Cardiologist, but I found Neurology fascinating and enjoyed studying it which led me to become a Neurologist.

 

2.    Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

My peak experience in Neurology has been the relationships and interactions with patients and colleagues. Neurology is a hard specialty and often it is where patients end up when there are no answers. I had one young patient who had difficulty playing and picking up his children and having difficulty with smaller tasks throughout the day. I had another patient who had described years of imbalance, falls and had been passed through several different physicians and physical therapists. Both patients came to me frustrated, worried and anxious without any answers for years. I gave the diagnosis of Myasthenia Graves and Multiple Sclerosis respectively. Neither of these diseases are curable but to give their symptoms a name was therapeutic in and of itself for these patients. To be there with them through the diagnostic journey and treatment has been some of the most memorable in my outpatient practice. 

Lastly, I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Adams and this has been a highlight of my career. He was both a friend and a mentor to me throughout my years at CSNA. I was able to learn from him regarding the science and practice of neurology but also on how to be a compassionate physician.

 

3.    What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society?

I think coming into town and having a way to associate and connect with fellow physicians is important. I moved here from the southeast and I had never really been or worked in Colorado. El Paso County Medical Society helped with resources to connect to other doctors and programs that are very important when you are first starting out. Then, staying integrated within the medical community is vital as your practice grows.

 

4.    What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

Stick with it. Medicine can be hard especially in medical school and residency. Make sure you find something that you love, and you are passionate about. You will be working hard for a long time, and you may as well be excited to learn and grow as medicine does. Neurology has been a rapidly changing field with pathology, diseases, and treatment options. It has been fun to be able to learn and most importantly offer patients new therapeutics. It will be worth it in the end and lead to a fulfilling career fueled by your passion.

Lastly, find a mentor that is passionate about teaching and guiding in both the science and business of medicine. 

5.    What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

My husband and I moved to Colorado for the great outdoors! We love to hike, ski and explore the mountain towns in the area. We are teaching our five-year-old to ski and have gotten him to the point where he gets down a green. I will be attempting a bunny hill with my 2-year-old soon, although may be short lived. Otherwise, we are in the season of life where our time revolves around our kids. I do enjoy exercising, and I used to be a competitive runner so this is certainly an important stress release in my life. Otherwise, painting and knitting are also crafts I enjoy in the little free time I have.

October Physician Spotlight: Eric Jepson, DO

1. Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

For sure my father (Neal Jepson, MD). He was an ophthalmologist who moved to Colorado Springs in 1963. He evolved through several groups in town, eventually developed his own practice, Eye Associates of Colorado Springs.  He was a true physician’s physician.  He was a Very outgoing personality, he liked people, but he was also an excellent physician. I learned a lot from him because he was able to explain things well. He always gave people the time they deserved, which is something difficult to maintain in medicine these days. He always stood by the fact that medicine is a very loyal profession. My dad was an advocate for the profession and becoming a physician. He was proud of what he did and afforded me time with his partners to solicit their feedback. Medicine is different now than it was back then, but it was my dad’s steadfastness that kept me motivated to keep going. No matter what happens within medicine, at the end of the day you know you are doing something good for the community and patients.  It is somewhat selfish because it makes you feel good when you get to take care of people too. Easily, merfather inspired me to do this.

1. Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

I remember at fourteen years old, having to interview someone who had a job I would like to do someday. I still have my handwritten report from interviewing C. Milton Waldron, M.D., Uncle Milty as I called him since he was a close family friend. Uncle Milty is a founding physician of Colorado Springs Orthopedic Group (CSOG).

Fast forward to when I am thirty-five, returning to the community I grew up in and enjoying working at CSOG. That was significant and motivating for me to come full circle, to return to my hometown and practice with Uncle Milty. He was a great mentor and was present for many years. As an emeritus of CSOG, he had seen it all and was great to bounce things off of. I have lots of great patients and outcomes, but nothing has been more meaningful than coming to practice with Uncle Milty.

1. What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society leadership?

I wanted to be involved before I became a physician as I learned about the engagement from my dad and Dr. Waldron. It was natural since I grew up in Colorado Springs, to want to be involved with EPCMS when I returned to practice.

I also believe EPCMS is important for the physicians in the community. If community physicians were surveyed, I speculate they would not feel connected to other physicians. It is a big town and not everyone is getting together. EPCMS is a way for everyone to still have connectedness and I think that is really important.

1. What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

Never go down alone; otherwise known as, always asking for help.

Always ask those with more experience than you for help. One of the fatal flaws coming out of training is that you know more than you ever will know again about your subject, but you know very little about the practicalities of practicing medicine and working with people. Some of that overconfidence does not translate well to practice. Reach out to others to create an environment of learning. One thing we do in my subspecialty of hip/knee replacement is that we try to gather once a month for an x-ray conference, reviewing challenging cases. We ask “What would you do in this situation?” I think that is invaluable when you have more experienced partners, like Milton Waldron, M.D. or Theodore Stringer, M.D., who just retired after 42 years of practice. That wealth of knowledge is invaluable. It is important to reach out to those with more practical experiences. Learning the intricacies of practicing medicine is every bit as important as what you did learn about your specialty.

1. What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

Exercise is my number one thing, it is my “Prozac.” Second is my family, my two girls and beautiful wife. I spend as much time with them as I can.  I have tried to prioritize my own personal well-being for several years. Finding time outside work to do things you enjoy and disconnect from the practice of medicine has been extremely helpful.  

September Physician Spotlight: Eric Caplan, MD

1.      Who or what inspired you to become a physician? 

Great question! I had asthma and allergies since I was two. My mom was an ER physician (Marilyn Gifford, MD), and she knew she did not know enough to take care of asthma and allergies long-term. She got me with allergist Jerry Buckley, MD, Colorado Allergy and Asthma, PC (now retired) in Denver. He was phenomenal. Back then, asthmatic kids were instructed to stay home and not participate in sports. He was the opposite, wanting me out playing football and ski racing. He said it was his job to get me there. He entirely transformed my life, got me active, and interested me in medicine, specifically allergies. He is the biggest reason why I am an allergist. 

2.      Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

For me, a lot of time, it is working with kids. Working with kids with asthma has been really rewarding because you can have the kiddo unable to participate in sports, really struggling, and give them a diagnosis and treatment plan. Then I see them back with their parents, and their parents say, "Little Suzy" is out playing soccer, running, and is like a new kid. They are sleeping better, more active, and healthier. I get the hug and cry moment. As physicians, we live for those hug-and-cry moments where you get with the patients and their parents. I do like to include food allergies as the other thing. We can un-diagnose a food allergy or have someone allergic to peanuts in the past who is now not allergic to peanuts. They pass the peanut food challenge for the first time when they are eating peanuts; that is another hug and cry moment that we get. Those are two fun moments for me. 

3.      What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society leadership?

My mom (Marilyn Gifford, MD) was a significant factor. Again, she was an ER physician, Medical Director of Memorial Hospital (now UCHealth Memorial), and heavily involved in EPCMS and CMS, working with the first responders in Colorado Springs. She wrote some pre-hospital protocols for this town, working with firefighters and ambulance crews. When I was an EMT, she was the one who signed off as Medical Director at the time for Colorado Springs. Again, she signed off on my EMT license and was heavily involved in EPCMS. That was an easy transition for me, having a parent who was so involved and passionate about what she did. It was also an easy transition for me to want to be a part of that. 

 

4.      What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

Make sure you are passionate about what you are doing. If you are passionate about medicine, this is absolutely a phenomenal, phenomenal job. When I went to medical school, many people were on the fence about medicine business or law. They picked medicine because it seemed cool or it was a prestigious career. If you are not passionate about it is where I see people struggle. If someone is in training, find what you are passionate about and pursue that, whether it is general medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, or surgery. Whatever it is, if you are passionate about it, you are driven to learn about it, you are urged to succeed in it, and you will be successful with it. Find that passion; don't go through passively. Make sure you are active in that. 

5.      What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

Family! My wife and kids take up all of my time now. I used to ski race. I used to have more of an outside life. My kids are heavily involved in sports, singing, and academics. So, everything I do, I do for them. Keeping up with the family is what I do outside of work. 

August Physician Spotlight: Christine Waasdorp-Hurtado, MD

1. Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

I have wanted to be a physician since I was a small child. I had a brother who passed away from brain cancer. It had a huge impact on my family. We stayed super connected with the physician who took care of him and they became role models. I wanted to do what they did. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a doctor. I never had another job choice despite my father’s great wishes to be a marketing executive like him. He didn’t convince me.

1. Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

There have been lots of amazing experiences. I was a general pediatrician first in the army and then transitioned to a pediatric GI doctor after I left the army. My most memorable experience when I was in the Army, was a baby born with congenital cardiac defect that couldn’t be cared for in Korea. I had a baby in an isolate in a giant air force transport plane; just the mom, myself, and the baby. We flew from Korea to Washington DC, passing over Mount Fuji on the way. My job was to keep the baby alive until we reached Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where I got to hand the baby off to the CT surgery team. I have done lots of transports and that was pretty amazing to be in the belly of a huge transport with just me and a baby who liked to turn blue.

1. What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society leadership?

I think connecting with your community and peers is very important from a mental health standpoint but also it is important for us to support each other, to know the resources that are present, and to make sure that we are doing our best to utilize the local resources so that we can all succeed together.

1. What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

I think early in your career it is important to find a mentor, potentially more than one. I think many of us need career mentors and we also need personal mentors to help us keep the balance. That is my biggest piece of advice. My second is, depending on how early they are, we all have ideas of what it is like to be a physician and we have the dream to be action oriented potentially. Everyone needs to pause and look at the life those physicians have and decide is that a life they can continue and see for themselves and their families for the foreseeable future. It is important to pick a field that has a lifestyle that fits with your goals. That is really hard because you may have to give up a dream because it will not work with your life. To find that balance means sometimes taking a step back and finding the people that really have the lifestyle as well as thejob you want.

1. What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

I have several things I love to do outside of medicine. The first is travel. My family loves to travel and go to new countries. My youngest daughter is working on being fluent in Spanish so we try to go to Spanish speaking countries to force her hand a little bit to be our translator although we can get by well without her. We like immersing ourselves in new cultures, exploring food and people and new places. Our last trip was to Portugal. We had a fabulous time beach kayaking, food adventuring. Outside of travel, I do a lot of gardening and play a lot of tennis.