Dr. Radhika Prasad Kakarla '91
Q: What challenges have you faced working during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: I practice Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Western suburbs of Philadelphia. In the earlier days, NYC had stopped letting husbands come into the hospital when their wives went into labor. This was quickly corrected, but in the interim, we had a lot of women wanting to transfer to our practices, We could not take them because they were coming from NYC and testing was extremely limited. The hospital (and our practices) had to think of the larger impact letting in potential carriers could have. It was VERY difficult to say no - we all empathized. I made exceptions for a few women who were self quarantining and not close to delivery. This problem quickly resolved when NYC started letting spouses accompany their wives. The other challenge was managing co-workers' anxiety - until I realized their anxiety was not mine to manage.
Q: How has your work changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: We stopped seeing routine gynecology visits and annuals. We started wearing masks and disinfecting rooms. I went from seeing two patients every 15 minutes to one OB pt every 15 minutes. I actually loved having more time to spend with each patient. The slowing down feels awesome.
Q: What successes have you celebrated during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: Procuring enough N95 masks for my team within a week of all the craziness. We were able to put systems in place and pt safety protocols very quickly. Other than that - time with my family and being able to reconnect with two teenagers,
Q: What has been your most challenging moment working in healthcare?
A: The masks and all the stuff we have to wear now. I have spent my entire career trying to shed the proverbial mask and connect with patients. It feels like this has separated pts from doctors even more.
Q: What has been your proudest moment working in healthcare?
A: I actually love delivering babies. But I think my proudest moment is when I learned how to do robotic surgery outside after residency. Learning a brand new skill/ modality was tough, but I was successful.
Q: When and how did you decide to pursue a career in healthcare?
A: I think I may have always known. Both my parents are physicians. They discouraged my doing OB/GYN (hrs, etc.), but I knew I wanted to do OB my first day of clinical rotations. I love working with women and having long term relationships with people. The longer I practice, the more clear I am that this is how I was meant to serve,
Q: How did your experience at Springs shape your career choice?
A: Springs helped to shape me into the person I am today. It did not influence my career choice, but it has influenced HOW I want to practice medicine. Springs taught me how to think outside the box and not just accept what it is. It helped stoke the fire the made me want to make things better.
Q: What advice would you give Springs students who want to pursue a career in healthcare?
A: It's not easy, but it's worth it. You have to care about it because it can be frustrating and annoying at times.
Q: What can the Springs community do to help during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: Keep educating the next generation of Game Changers. We need more people with Big Ideas to help clean up this mess we have created.
Back
A: I practice Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Western suburbs of Philadelphia. In the earlier days, NYC had stopped letting husbands come into the hospital when their wives went into labor. This was quickly corrected, but in the interim, we had a lot of women wanting to transfer to our practices, We could not take them because they were coming from NYC and testing was extremely limited. The hospital (and our practices) had to think of the larger impact letting in potential carriers could have. It was VERY difficult to say no - we all empathized. I made exceptions for a few women who were self quarantining and not close to delivery. This problem quickly resolved when NYC started letting spouses accompany their wives. The other challenge was managing co-workers' anxiety - until I realized their anxiety was not mine to manage.
Q: How has your work changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: We stopped seeing routine gynecology visits and annuals. We started wearing masks and disinfecting rooms. I went from seeing two patients every 15 minutes to one OB pt every 15 minutes. I actually loved having more time to spend with each patient. The slowing down feels awesome.
Q: What successes have you celebrated during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: Procuring enough N95 masks for my team within a week of all the craziness. We were able to put systems in place and pt safety protocols very quickly. Other than that - time with my family and being able to reconnect with two teenagers,
Q: What has been your most challenging moment working in healthcare?
A: The masks and all the stuff we have to wear now. I have spent my entire career trying to shed the proverbial mask and connect with patients. It feels like this has separated pts from doctors even more.
Q: What has been your proudest moment working in healthcare?
A: I actually love delivering babies. But I think my proudest moment is when I learned how to do robotic surgery outside after residency. Learning a brand new skill/ modality was tough, but I was successful.
Q: When and how did you decide to pursue a career in healthcare?
A: I think I may have always known. Both my parents are physicians. They discouraged my doing OB/GYN (hrs, etc.), but I knew I wanted to do OB my first day of clinical rotations. I love working with women and having long term relationships with people. The longer I practice, the more clear I am that this is how I was meant to serve,
Q: How did your experience at Springs shape your career choice?
A: Springs helped to shape me into the person I am today. It did not influence my career choice, but it has influenced HOW I want to practice medicine. Springs taught me how to think outside the box and not just accept what it is. It helped stoke the fire the made me want to make things better.
Q: What advice would you give Springs students who want to pursue a career in healthcare?
A: It's not easy, but it's worth it. You have to care about it because it can be frustrating and annoying at times.
Q: What can the Springs community do to help during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: Keep educating the next generation of Game Changers. We need more people with Big Ideas to help clean up this mess we have created.
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Phone: 205.988.3350
Indian Springs School, an independent school recognized nationally as a leader in boarding and day education for grades 8-12, serves a talented and diverse student body and offers admission to qualified students regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Located in Indian Springs, Alabama, just south of Birmingham, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
© 2023 Indian Springs School. All Rights Reserved.
© 2023 Indian Springs School. All Rights Reserved.