The burden of cancer and how it impacts patients and their families really moved me when I trained as a resident in internal medicine. During this time, the attending physician for one of my clerkships (rotations) diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer was receiving chemotherapy while seeing a full panel of patients. As the months passed, I managed most of the patients under his supervision. His commitment to medicine and public service truly inspired me, especially given the limitations of his disease. He continued to work as a physician until he became severely ill and passed away at home in the company of his loved ones. It was then that I realized the significance of a physician’s lifelong commitment to patients and public service. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in endocrinology, with a focus on patients with cancer. I feel very fortunate to be an endocrinologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where I work with patients with endocrine cancers and endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, thyroid nodules, and adrenal nodules).
My patients’ biggest concerns relate to the burden and side effects of treatment, and how a cancer diagnosis impacts secondary endocrine conditions that they might have. I tell my patients that I am here to ease their worries. I not only pursue the least cumbersome and most effective treatment regimen for their endocrine problems, but also listen to their past experiences with side effects and work with them to consider alternative treatment plans, when necessary, that suit their needs. Finally, I reassure them that it is natural to be overwhelmed by any cancer diagnosis, but it is equally important to remember that our physicians, extended healthcare providers, family members, and friends are their support system and are here to provide a listening ear. Since I began my career as an endocrinologist, my personal goal has been to provide public service of the highest caliber; as such, it is important to me that my patients know that I am here to help in any way I can. I take on their hesitations about endocrine problems, so they don’t have to do it alone.
I have been an endocrinologist since I completed my fellowship in 2018; however, I have worked in the field since 2010, when I was a second-year medical student at the Diabetes Institute at Ohio University. During my residency training, I published review articles on diabetes management strategies, lipodystrophy and insulin resistance syndromes, and the obesity epidemic. As an endocrine fellow, I was the principle investigator for a study evaluating glycemic control and the risk for hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. During this time, I also co-authored textbook chapters, case studies, case series on cancer-related endocrinopathies, and drew upon my expertise in type 2 diabetes mellitus (with a focus on cardiovascular and renal health) as an invited speaker at regional and national conferences.
When I am not working, I take time for self-care in any form that suits my day. This could mean going to the gym and working out, doing yoga or meditation, listening to some music while I cook a new dish, or just going to park with my family for a walk or a planned picnic. Prior to 2019, I often traveled internationally, and I hope to do more of that over time, as our world heals from the traumas of the COVID-19 pandemic.
