Q: Do you see anything in particular on the horizon for hospital medicine?
A: I’ve noticed that there’s been more “hospitalist-ization” – if that’s even a term – of other medical services. At our institution, we already have an acute care service that is basically hospital medicine for general surgery. I think another thing that’s been kind of a hot topic recently is a point-of-care testing, including ultrasounds for line placements.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: I really enjoy my work at Emory. I want to find more opportunities to teach. For example, I’ve already gotten involved in teaching physician assistant students about how to perform interviews and deliver presentations for attendings. A lot of serendipitous things have happened to me over time, so I think I will continue to teach, but I’m open to those opportunities that present themselves in the future.
Q: What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why?
A: “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” by Joseph Campbell. This is a very well-known book – I think George Lucas made reference to it when he was writing Star Wars – but I think it was a great literary way to examine the hero’s journey. Once you read the book, and you then watch any kind of movie or read any other kind of adventure narrative, you can’t miss the pattern.
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