Why I chose to pursue a career in healthcare:

I did not grow up planning to be a doctor - my background was very modest and few people in my family had degrees much less MDs. However, I was always a passionate learner. In college, I studied everything from 17th century poetry to biostatistics. As I grew in knowledge, I started to long for ways to apply that knowledge and make the world a better place. I desperately wanted to be useful. I ended up at NIH working in a lab studying gene therapy for children with inherited immunodeficiency. While I loved research, I realized that the best days were those where our young patients visited. Being able to apply science to directly help someone in need became my passion. I am so grateful for that experience, which opened the door to a career I have found immensely fulfilling.

What I want my patients to know about me:

I really care about you! At work, I have to remain calm, focused and detail-oriented to take good care of you. I may talk about your potassium values or your cardiac testing. But at the end of the day, I sit back and reflect on you - not just about your illness but about you as a person, what you are suffering, how hard it is for some of you. I cannot cure every disease, but my goal is to be there with you and support you through the ups and downs of your medical care.

What I do when I'm not seeing patients:

I have a wonderful husband, three growing boys and a variety of furry pets, so life is full! I also care very much about this beautiful world we inhabit; I have a variety of homesteading projects where I try to do my part to live more consciously and sustainably. I'm also still a geek - after a long day of medical charts, soccer practice and home cooking, you'll probably find me reading or listening to Bach.