Dr. Ajanta Patel '01

Q: How has your work changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: It's been incredible to watch telemedicine take off. The technology has been there for years, but most institutions never took steps to use it in a meaningful way. Health care providers are often dubious of changes to workflow because disruptions are difficult to get used to.  But in the wake of the pandemic, with no other choice, health systems started using virtual visits overnight. And I mean literally overnight - from having a full clinic one day to being almost 100% virtual the next. In this environment, it's only taken patients and providers a few weeks to get used to it - without the pandemic, it would have taken years to convert the system over. It's definitely here to stay, and there's definitely a lot to be gained if we can make it work. 

Q: What successes have you celebrated during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: We should all applaud and cheer our front line providers and our health care leadership. People have really stepped up the challenges. I'm proud of the leaders at my institution for being steady hands at the wheel and for all the staff and providers who did whatever needed to be done.  For my teams and me, it's been a bonding experience, and I think that goes for a lot of folks.

Q: What has been your most challenging moment working in healthcare?
A: Healthcare burnout is very real. It can affect nurses, doctors, residents, students, and staff. People are working way harder than you think they are, with a super high-stress burden, and it wears on them over time. About two years ago, I took on a leadership role in a national medical organization to fight burnout. I put my heart into it, and after a year of (ironically exhausting) work, the project didn't get refunded. I was crushed. But only a few days after closing the project, the big picture of burnout hit me personally. I got one of the hardest phone calls I've ever had - a medical student who I closely mentored committed suicide just before Thanksgiving. I have never felt as helpless as I did at that moment. It's been several months now, but I still struggle to come to terms with her loss.

Q: What advice would you give Springs students who want to pursue a career in healthcare?
A: Not all careers define you, but medicine almost certainly can. It's possible to be a doctor and a professional snowboarder, but you have to be very, very thoughtful about how you're going to make all of that happen because the hours of the day won't line up. My advice is not to spend all your career-planning neurons on "getting in" to college or medical school. It's easy to get amped up about getting in a bit because you want to be accepted, but at the end of the day, it's the job that counts. So spend the time learning about what these folks do.  See if the shoe fits. And spend time talking to people who you want to be like, and ask them how they got there.