Munish Goyal, MD, (Emergency Medicine)

Munish Goyal, MD, (Emergency Medicine) almost decided not to go into medicine. He even briefly changed his undergraduate major from biology to business. That is, until an experience shadowing a retinal surgeon during the AIDS epidemic in Washington, D.C., made a lasting impression on him.

It was 1994 and he wasn’t enjoying his science classes, particularly organic chemistry (a sentiment many pre-med students likely can appreciate). Dr. Goyal’s father reminded him that organic chemistry was not medicine and suggested he spend some time with a physician before making a final decision.

Dr. Goyal began to shadow a retinal surgeon who was seeing patients with AIDS retinopathy at the Whitman-Walter Clinic. “Watching him balance his scientific knowledge with the humanistic component made me realize this is what I want to do. I want to be able to understand the content well enough that I can explain to someone without any medical background what was happening with their body.”

As an attending physician in the Emergency Department at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and a Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, helping his residents and medical students make these same connections is what he enjoys most in his day to day.

“Highlighting to people why all of the time and energy that they spent in medical school matters – drawing connections real time between that first or second year of medical school pharmacology and physiology and what they’re seeing in front of them – it makes it so much more interesting and more relevant,” he explains.

MedStar Health GME provides a highly unique and interesting place to learn and make those connections, according to Dr. Goyal. Because MedStar Washington Hospital Center sees patients from a large portion of the Washington, D.C., metro area, residents can see and do so much more than they might in another hospital and often have the opportunity to treat conditions that are less common.

Dr. Goyal holds a number of leadership positions at MedStar Health, including Director of the MedStar Medical Student Scholars Program for rising 2nd year Georgetown medical students. He’s also Chair of the MedStar Health Research Institute (MHRI) Institutional Review Board, co-Chair of the MedStar Health P+T Committee, and Director of Faculty Education, Research, and the Section of Critical Care for the emergency medicine service line.

He credits his inspiring mentors, incredible  peers, and supportive wife as the things that have most helped him succeed at MedStar Health. And, at the end of the day, Dr. Goyal just really enjoys medical education.

“I like teaching. I get to be around residents and medical students, and they keep things fresh and interesting.”

Cassie Libbing, DO (PGY-3, Internal Medicine)

Cassie Libbing, DO (PGY-3, Internal Medicine) is an advocate at heart. She was drawn to medicine because she wanted to be a good advocate for her patients and now at MedStar Health, she has stepped forward to be an advocate for her peers through her work as a Wellness Champion.

During medical school in her home state of Indiana, Dr. Libbing fell in love with the intellectual challenge of solving the varied diagnostic dilemmas that come with practicing Internal Medicine. She is also passionate about giving her patients tools to care for their health.

“We have medically complex patients, that’s our specialty, and it’s very important to me that my patients understand their diseases, ultimately empowering them with information so that they can make the best decisions for their health and take care of themselves,” she said.

This is especially important, Dr. Libbing said, because many of their patients do not have extensive experience with the healthcare system. The first physician a patient interacts with can have an immense impact on that patient’s trust in the healthcare system. “It’s easy to forget with the day-to-day work, but it’s an important role we carry,” Dr. Libbing said.

Dr. Libbing is also involved in fostering wellness among her colleagues. During her second year of residency at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH), Dr. Libbing applied for, and received, a Wellness Champion Grant from the Center for Wellbeing to establish a dedicated Wellness Committee for the almost 90 Internal Medicine residents at MGUH.

“During that year, I was able to delve more into wellness research and learn more about what has been evolving with physician and resident wellness research in the past five years. A lot of it is moving past this idea of personal resilience and more towards seeking institutional interventions that can drive professional fulfillment and a sense of community,” she explained.

Now, with a second Wellness Champion grant, Dr. Libbing is building on her wellness work by utilizing a tool developed at Yale – the Residency Community Well-Being instrument – to track and evaluate resident wellness throughout the year. Anonymous surveys will help Dr. Libbing determine if wellness or professional fulfillment rises and lowers depending on the season, post-graduate year, specialty track, gender, or a number of other factors.

The tools that MedStar Health GME offers due to its status as a nationally-leading consortium – such as access to grants or statistical support from the MedStar Health Research Institute – is one contributing factor to Dr. Libbing’s success. That, plus the incredible community she has found at MedStar Health.

“There are so many great people who surround me and keep me going. Community is so important for wellness,” Dr. Libbing said. She advised her colleagues to find a mentor and never hesitate to ask for support.

Dr. Libbing also turns to her fiancé, an anesthesiology resident at MedStar Health, to stay grounded. But sometimes ice cream from Jeni’s Splendid or Van Leeuwen is just what the doctor ordered.

“I am an ice cream connoisseur,” she said. “I love ice cream. It’s the easiest way to make me smile.”

Dan Jamieson, MD (Pulmonary and Critical Care; Internal Medicine)

Dan Jamieson, MD (Pulmonary and Critical Care; Internal Medicine) has always called Maryland and the Washington, DC, area home – in fact he was born at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital! It’s no surprise then that after his fellowship, he ended up at MedStar Health, the largest healthcare provider in the region. Dr. Jamieson is the Program Director (PD) for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) and one of the Associate Program Directors (APD) for Internal Medicine at MGUH.

Dr. Jamieson was inspired to pursue medicine while in high school when he developed a deep fascination with science and biology. His roles as a PD and APD at MedStar Health perfectly pair Dr. Jamieson’s medical skills as a clinician with his passion for mentoring and teaching the next generation of physicians.

“Number one will always be the students, residents and fellows,” Dr. Jamieson responded when asked what he enjoys most about working in graduate medical education. “There is an intentional focus on education in everything we do at Medstar Health. From our focus on the learning environment to the way we run daily rounds. I also love working with a dedicated team of educators to address current challenges in graduate medical education.”

There are always new challenges in healthcare, and MedStar Health is continually striving to find ways to build on current practices and better care for our patients and our communities. The knowledge that leaders like Dr. Jamieson are imparting on our residents and fellows are critical to that mission.

“The pace of change in medicine in the U.S. is impressive,” Dr. Jamieson said. “I know we will continue to support innovation and education of the next generation of learners.”

Dr. Jamieson doesn’t just envision a better future for healthcare – he is putting in the hard work to create that future. As one of three inaugural GME Leadership Fellows, Dr. Jamieson is gaining new insight into what it takes to run and improve our consortium and contributing his expertise to make it happen.

Dr. Jamieson and his wife have three children and they recently added two cats into the mix. “After intense negotiations with my daughter and wife, we have settled on Lola and Findus for their names,” Dr. Jamieson joked.

Tanmay Singh, MBBS (PGY-2, Internal Medicine)

“I have enjoyed my journey tremendously so far,” said Tanmay Singh, MBBS (PGY-2, Internal Medicine), when asked about his career in medicine.

Dr. Singh is an accomplished Internal Medicine resident at MedStar Health, and a representative on the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC). But his journey in medicine started more than 7,500 miles away.

Dr. Singh grew up and attended medical school in Agra, India, home to the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. That’s also where he completed his first residency in Radiation Oncology. He decided to study medicine after watching physicians in his own family treat patients.

“I developed a very strong interest in health and causes of ill health, and trying to figure out the pathophysiology behind this was really intellectually rewarding,” Dr. Singh said.

Dr. Singh enjoys the puzzle presented by Internal Medicine, since no two patients are alike – even those who may share a diagnosis. “Delivering personalized care is the most enjoyable part of medicine for me. It’s a very dynamic process. There’s never a dull moment,” he said.

He also finds the environment at MedStar Health to be very conducive to learning. “The Attending Physicians are very intent on teaching and passing on their knowledge to the next generation. I think that kind of atmosphere is very incredible.”

Having already completed a residency, Dr. Singh knows how difficult it can be and one reason he chose MedStar Health is because of its dedicated focus on robust mental wellness.

“Residency comes with its own challenges, and I think feeling overwhelmed is pretty natural. Understanding how much mental health can impact the performance of residents and physicians is a big component of wellness. It’s awesome that the GME leadership realizes this and has put an incredible support system in place,” Dr. Singh said.

Dr. Singh urged his colleagues to take care of their own wellbeing by reaching out and asking for help so they can be the best physician possible. “People should not think that if they reach out for help, it’s going to reflect badly on them,” he explained. “There is help available, and it will make them better doctors by using the resources available to them.”

This willingness to step forward and help others makes Dr. Singh a natural fit for the GMEC. “I don’t hesitate – and wouldn’t hesitate – to raise issues into the knowledge of GME leadership. My philosophy is that is anybody has a concern they can come to me, and I will help bring those concerns to the forefront through the GME Committee,” he said.

Dr. Singh has found that the GME program promotes an open dialogue that lends itself to feedback and continual improvement. As Dr. Singh said: “We are good but can always be better.”

When Dr. Singh is not treating patients, he is working on his bucket list of visiting each of the 63 National Parks in the U.S. So far, he’s crossed off about a dozen of them, including Grand Canyon National Park and Acadia National Park. “My wife keeps saying that in an alternate world, I would have made a pretty good National Park ranger,” Dr. Singh joked.

Namratha Meda, MD, (PGY-3, Internal Medicine)

Not too long ago, Namratha Meda, MD, (PGY-3, Internal Medicine) embarked on a 13-day long trek across the Himalayas to the basecamp of Mt. Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world. This incredible accomplishment – and the positive attitude it required – is indicative of the determination, dedication, and joy that Dr. Meda brings to MedStar Health.

Dr. Meda grew up in Bengaluru, India, where her physician father saw patients in a clinic attached to their home. “My physiology lessons started even before medical school, and I got to a point where I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” Dr. Meda said. After watching the impact her father made on his patients, internal medicine was a natural choice for Dr. Meda.

“It gives you a change to identify and address health before a person is truly sick, in terms of encouraging a healthy lifestyle. That’s where health begins,” she explained.

Dr. Meda’s willingness to take on new opportunities has led to her service as a resident representative on the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC). She calls this role “one of the most important things that [she’s] been a part of in residency.” As a GMEC representative, she works with others on the committee, including Dr. Qingwen (Wen) Kawaji, to troubleshoot problems and streamline processes to make life easier for residents and fellows.

“We’re trusted with the residents’ concerns to create a conducive environment for learning, education, patient care, and just resident and physician wellbeing,” she said.

“Our voices matter. They’re certainly heard,” Dr. Meda continued. She encourages resident and fellows to provide input, whether it’s through peer-to-peer listening sessions or the anonymous Google form. “What is not measured cannot be improved, and the only way we can measure it is for them to believe that what they’re telling us is truly heard and to give us more and more feedback.”

She’s had the opportunity to work on several initiatives with the GMEC, from helping increase healthier options in the cafeteria and improving food access, to providing input on a pay raise for residents. “That’s a very valuable way of showing us that we matter, and that the work that we do matters,” she said.

Throughout her career, Dr. Meda has also learned that a willingness to learn is key to success in medicine. “It’s ok to say, ‘I don’t know.’ That opens a huge door of opportunities and learning,” she said.

When Dr. Meda is not practicing medicine or embarking on global expeditions, she is calling back home to Bengaluru to FaceTime with her Husky, Maya, and her family, or practicing the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam, an intricate balance between footwork and rhythmic patterns and music.