Today’s inane image of the day: [I just wanted to point out that this video went live at 4am ]  I start most of my mornings at ~4am. I find that this is the best way for me to start the day to be productive and overall for my well-being. I think for a while I was in denial about being a morning person, but once I became an anesthesiologist, it became clear that my days were just *so much better* when I started them early.  My 4am morning routine looks like this: Wake up alarm [https://amzn.to/3xcwLn5] coerces me out of bed I immediately make myself an americano [Using my Nespresso ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: When I started residency, I fully intended on joining a private practice group. But my residency and fellowship @mghanesthesia ended up changing my trajectory. Here are some reasons I stayed in academia: 1️⃣ I get to work with trainees [i.e. premedical students, medical students, residents, fellows, etc]. 2️⃣ I am surrounded by curious, intelligent, but humble people that encourage me to dig deeper.  3️⃣ The academic position gives me more flexibility to explore nonclinical pursuits like teaching, administration and research. This also helps with preventin ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: Here’s proof that I actually did this thing! It is no secret that ultrasound is a powerful tool for the anesthesiologist and intensivist. During residency, we achieve competence in using ultrasound for vascular access, regional anesthesia, and basic cardiac examination [both transesophageal and transthoracic]. When I was a resident, there were times when it was really challenging to get an ultrasound, which translated into feeling like my own skill was mediocre. Fellowship in critical care anesthesiology certainly helped me build upon my skill and clinical appli ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: Another gem from my London trip. Since this post is a reflection of my evolution over the years, I thought it appropriate to distill my essence through this image. These delightful treats brought me so much joy [as did the company I was with]; ultimately, this is the energy I hope I can consistently give. I was recently reflecting on who I was during internship, residency, and fellowship. You might be wondering, “What does that even mean?” There was a period in my life where I staunchly believed that people do not change. You are fundamentally who you are. There ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: Another gem from my one-day adventure out to Western MA – I finally got to explore The Clark. The impressionist room is breathtaking and if it weren’t for rain, I would have probably spent hours exploring the grounds. I spent the majority of my life feeling the pressure to “hustle.” That productivity was equated with my worth. If I wasn’t productive, then what purpose do I serve? I’m not sure where this stemmed from, but I suspect the goal of becoming a physician and growing up in an immigrant household may have played a role. I wonder if I would be “successful ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: Posing in a thoughtful manner during my fall trip to London. Last week, I reflected on 2023. As sort-of-promised, I decided to set some 2024 intentions. I think that every single day is a new opportunity to set and achieve goals; I don’t think we need a designated time of the year to do these things. I have short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term goals that I set and review on a semi-regular basis. But the idea of intentions feels like the right approach for 2024; they are touchy-feely types of ideas that I’d like to work toward in the new year. There is no ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: When a beautiful fall weekend presented itself, I went on a roadtrip to Western Massachusetts. All the leaves had already fallen, but it was a beautiful hike nonetheless. I keep telling myself I will get back into blogging regularly but the words don’t flow the way they used to. The further along in my career I get [and the older I get], the more it seems “risky” to pour my heart and soul out to the internet. Yet, it feels like there is a part of me I am not honoring by being silent. There is also something to be said about the loss of connection to those of you ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: Foliage from last year when I was in a wedding and decided to go on a solo hike. I do not recommend doing this after it has rained, the trail is slippery, you have zero phone service, and no one else was in the parking lot. If you’ve stumbled across this entry, it is likely that either you or someone that you care deeply about has failed some sort of examination. It may be a low-stakes or a high-stakes one. It may be in the setting of a course, or it may be in the setting of a medical board examination. Either way, there is something so disarming about failing a ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: Hello from my office! You still work that many days? I’ve been asked whether my schedule is more “humane” or “manageable” now that I’m an attending. The answer is a resounding “yes!”… but, I still have blocks of long weeks. The work never stops being challenging for one reason or another. There are certainly still weeks when I am scheduled to work 70 hours. Yet even with this assignment, the work still feels so much better than when I was in training. Long weeks as a trainee felt exhausting because there was always something new to learn. Long weeks as a first-y ..read more

Today’s inane image of the day: A blast from the past. This was taken in the MGH Ether Dome in the summer of 2016 when I started as an anesthesiology resident. I was so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed back then! A glimpse into competitiveness through Match data It has been almost a decade since I applied to anesthesia residency. It’s crazy how time flies. When I applied to the specialty back in 2014, anesthesiology was a somewhat competitive specialty – for the 2015 match, there was a total of 1,859 applicants for the 1,094 PGY-1 positions offered in through 120 anesthesiology programs [of note ..read more