Archive for category: People Profiles

“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.

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.

One day, Danielle Grossman, MD, (PGY-5, General Surgery) would like to own a vineyard in Napa Valley, California. California is far from her home state of Florida, where she grew up the daughter and granddaughter of physicians, or Boston where she majored in stem cell biology during undergrad, but owning a vineyard is right on track with Dr. Grossman’s enthusiasm to dive into new challenges.

 

“I’ve always been a hands-on problem solver,” she said.

Even though both her father and grandfather practiced medicine, she was never pushed towards the field. Instead, she felt called towards a career that would allow her to remain a lifelong learner and use that knowledge to help other people.

 

“Surgery uniquely combines all my favorite things about being a doctor: a patient comes to you with a problem, and you collaborate with your colleagues to figure out the cause. Then, the best part is that a lot of time you can physically fix that problem, right then and there,” she explained.

 

Dr. Grossman partially credits her success at MedStar Health to her colleagues and is grateful to her mentors and co-residents for getting her though tough times, including the pandemic. “Find your people,” is her advice to others.

 

“Medicine, especially surgery, is a team sport,” Dr. Grossman continued. “There’s a famous Isaac Newton quote where he said, ‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ I believe that’s particularly true of success in a medical career.”

 

She’s working to help the next generation of MedStar Health residents see further by serving as a resident representative on the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC). It’s been a rewarding experience. “I’m proud to be part of the team that’s working to improve food access, optimize interview protocols and orientation programs, and generally increase GME decision-making transparency for trainees. That’s really important,” Dr. Grossman said.

 

The GMEC has recently worked on a range of issues affecting residents, fellows, and faculty, from increasing access to food as well as increasing access to, and awareness of, mental health resources. “Access to mental health resources is more important than ever, and healthcare systems in America are finally really investing in resident and trainee wellness. Our GME Committee has really leaned into that which has been awesome,” Dr. Grossman said.

 

She encouraged her colleagues to reach out if they have feedback. “I hope that any resident or fellow in the system would feel comfortable coming to one of our GMEC members including myself, with any issue or any suggestion that they might have.”

Dr. Grossman also shared a very important message: Please get a screening mammogram at age 40 and a screening colonoscopy at age 45.

 

“Prevention is the best form of treatment.”

“It sounds so cliché, but it’s true, I’m living out my dream every day.”

Mary Taylor (MT) Winsten, MD, (PGY-3, Obstetrics and Gynecology) always wanted to be a physician, and now, she is grateful for the chance to serve women and advocate for their health during some of their most vulnerable moments.

“I think that’s really special that you get to be there in some of the most joyous parts of people’s lives and some of the hardest,” Dr. Winsten said.

Originally from Texas, Dr. Winsten was excited for the new challenges that came with a new city and a residency. “During intern year, you’re so overwhelmed by all of the new. You’re in a new city, you’re in a new environment, trying to figure out so many things – you don’t even know how to order Tylenol! – but it does get better,” she shared.

She attributes a big part of her success at MedStar Health to the sense of community between residents and attending physicians. “I feel very well supported. It makes a big difference to have a culture of support and people that you enjoy being around. It makes me feel very lucky to be here,” she said.

Now, Dr. Winsten is stepping forward to help other residents and fellows navigate residency, by serving as a resident representative on the Physician Leadership Council (PLC) alongside Dr. Sant Kumar.  As a representative of the more than 1,000 MedStar Health GME residents and fellows, Dr. Winsten is keen on working with the PLC to improve the working environment for her colleagues.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to serve as a liaison and an advocate for them. Because I think that’s huge to have leadership who actually wants to know what’s going on and wants us to be involved,” she said. “We do have the ear of the Physician Leadership Council and Dean Padmore, and we can be advocates for thoughtful changes in our healthcare system.”

One day, Dr. Winsten envisions a future where healthcare is more easily accessible to everyone. “I wish to continue to improve access to people because I think it makes a difference in – not just their health – but their quality of life,” she said.

When Dr. Winsten is not treating patients or working on behalf of her colleagues, she enjoys cooking new dishes with her husband, an Emergency Medicine resident at George Washington University Hospital.

“I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to do medicine,” said Felicia Hamilton, MD, (Obstetrics and Gynecology). However, she didn’t always want to practice obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN). Originally, she wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. A volunteer stint at a domestic violence shelter during medical school immediately changed her mind.

“I wanted to take care of women exclusively, as they take care of all of us,” she said.

Now, as the Program Director for the OB/GYN residency program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Dr. Hamilton is grateful for the opportunity to help teach the next generation of OB/GYN physicians.

“Being involved in the lives of so many people who will take care of women is quite an honor and a privilege,” she said. “It’s quite an honor and a privilege to take care of women as it is and there is a special honor to train those who will go out and take care of women. We are training people to go out all over the world to care of women. It’s a far-reaching and huge responsibility.”

Dr. Hamilton notes that advancing health through medical education is core to MedStar Health’s vision and strategy, and leaders across the graduate medical education (GME) program are continually making investments in resident learning. The wide scope of immense talent at MedStar Health is an asset to fellows and residents, she notes, as there are so many physicians and medical professionals to learn from and share ideas with.

“We are very resident-focused and driven. Teaching is ingrained here. GME is really involved in developing its learners and making improvements in training to achieve our educational objectives,” Dr. Hamilton said.

Dr. Hamilton’s perspective on the future of medicine has also been shaped by her time in the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, where she helped deliver medical care in communities without consistent access to care. She hopes that interest in medicine, and the infrastructure required to support that interest, continues to expand so that people in rural and underserved communities can access the care they deserve. “Maternal mortality and morbidity is unfortunately increasing, and that is a shame. If we do not have those providers, it will continue to be a problem,” she said.

When Dr. Hamilton is not treating patients, working with residents, serving on the Graduate Medical Education Committee (System GMEC) – or several other leadership positions throughout the MedStar Health system – she enjoys spending time with her family, including three boys and Basenji dog Louie.