问题的核心:博士. Nikhil 熊猫 '02, one of the country's best cardiac electrophysiologists

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问题的核心:博士. Nikhil 熊猫 '02, one of the country's best cardiac electrophysiologists

Dr. Nikhil 熊猫 '02 is one of the country's best cardiac electrophysiologists.

Even as a kid growing up in San Diego, California, Nikhil 熊猫 ' 02 有崇高的目标.

His parents, who emigrated from India, often returned to their home country with their young son. There, 熊猫 saw suffering so great, he was inspired to make a difference. He set his sights on becoming a physician.

Today he’s made his dream come true in a big way. As cardiac electrophysiologist—one of the country’s best, in fact—at Brown Alpert Medical School in Providence, 罗德岛州, it’s not hyperbole to say he’s saving lives every day.

我们和Dr。. 熊猫, 谁同时也是研究员和教授, to learn more about his experience at Utica, 他的职业道路, and what keeps him calm in the high-stakes world of complex heart surgery.

你在西海岸长大. 什么风把你吹到利记sbo来了?

I wanted to experience a different part of the country for college. I really liked the small class sizes at 利记sbo and the idea that each student was not a number. I received a scholarship to Utica and had the opportunity to participate in the 荣誉项目. I knew I wanted to pursue medicine even as a high-school student, because I always thought becoming a doctor would be the ultimate way to help people and make a difference. 当时, Utica offered a combined medical degree program and opportunities for early entrance to the SUNY Upstate Medical University College of Medicine, 哪个看起来更适合我. But it was quite the transition in climate from living in San Diego to Upstate New York!

告诉我你在尤蒂卡的经历. 它是否影响了你最终的职业道路?

绝对. I was able to do my senior thesis as a sophomore at the Masonic Medical 研究 Laboratory in Utica. 我当时并不知道, but the laboratory is perhaps the most famous basic science laboratory in the field of cardiac electro生理学, where of much of the knowledge of the field was discovered. There, I was able to work with one of the founders in the field, Dr. 查尔斯Antzelevitch. That experience was instrumental in helping shape my future career as a physician and scientist. 通过利记sbo, I was also able to do clinical rotations abroad and study health policy in Europe. I became an EMT and phlebotomy-certified and participated in medical trips abroad. 我也和博士一起做化学研究. 柯蒂斯Pulliam. When it was time to apply to medical school, I received tremendous support from the faculty and was admitted early, 在我大二之后.

听起来你是个很忙的学生! Did you have time to enjoy the traditional college experience?

Yes, it was an unforgettable time that I will always look back on with the fondest of memories. I developed lifelong friendships at Utica, including my former roommate and best friend, Dr. Terry Li ' 02. We met at Utica and then were roommates in medical school. 我们参加过彼此的婚礼.

Were there other people at 利记sbo who left an impact on you? 具体的教授或顾问?

All the professors I had at Utica impacted my life in such a positive way, 不管怎样, 但有几个人脱颖而出. Judy McIntryre was my premedical adviser, and her encouragement throughout my college career was instrumental. She was more like a family member and would often invite me for dinner with her family. 直到今天我们还保持着联系. Dr. Ronald Lucchino worked extra hard as my faculty adviser to provide me with the mentorship and opportunities to be successful. 还有马克·科瓦奇. He was the director of residence life during my time at Utica and went above and beyond to make sure I was adjusting to life away from home. He even attended my medical school graduation.

All the professors I had at Utica impacted my life in such a positive way, 不管怎样.

Your field, cardiac electro生理学, is relatively new, having been developed in the mid-1970s. 你能描述一下吗??

Cardiac electro生理学 is a very subspecialized field that deals with the medical and surgical treatment of electrical disorders of the heart. We are considered the “electrical engineers of heart” or the “heart electricians.” It employs the latest technologies in medicine, including robotic and computer-assisted procedures. We implant pacemakers and defibrillators, 也可以做心脏消融手术, in which we find and burn specific areas of the heart that are causing the rhythm disturbance.

是什么把你吸引到这个领域来的?

作为一名医生, I wanted the opportunity to have a direct and immediate impact on patient's lives, and I’m fascinated by the novel technologies in this field that are constantly evolving and improving. I enjoy the variety in the procedures, as almost no two procedures are the same. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, and I like the intellectual challenge of finding an arrhythmia and eliminating it before my eyes. 我们处理解剖学原理, 生理学, electrical engineering and physics on a daily basis, and we operate on some of the sickest hearts, so the difference we have on a patients’ lives is particularly rewarding.

Cardiac electro生理学 requires the most training of any medical field, so it’s been a long journey for you since graduating from Utica.

这是正确的. In 2002, I started medical school at SUNY Upstate in Syracuse, then I entered the physician scientist training program at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, 我在那里完成了实习, 心脏病学的奖学金, and three years of a postdoctoral research fellowship in biomedical engineering, focusing on cell and tissue engineering for cardiac arrhythmias. I completed my clinical cardiac electro生理学 fellowship at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. I was one of the few electrophysiologists that completed an additional fellowship in advanced and complex cardiac ablation back in Cleveland.

What brought you to your current hospital in 罗德岛州?

奖学金后, I wanted to pursue practice at an academic medical center where I would have the opportunity to practice with the latest technologies, teach the future generation of electrophysiologists, 并进行研究. That brought me to Brown University, where I’m able to do all those things. In addition to operating four days a week, I am the founder of several clinical studies and have developed new ablation techniques for the treatment of atrial fibrillation or AFib, a common electrical disorder where the top of the heart beats irregularly. I research cell therapy and tissue regeneration and try to engineer cells and tissue to restore electrical activity in the heart that has been damaged. I also have the opportunity to teach and mentor electro生理学 and cardiology fellows, 居民, 医学专业的学生, undergrads and postdoctoral research fellows. I’m extremely busy, but I look forward to coming to work every day!

What’s the most challenging part of your work?

The field of cardiac electro生理学 requires perseverance. 有些手术可能持续6-8小时, and a surgeon’s persistence ensures the best results for patients. One of the most challenging aspects is dealing with the limitations and bureaucracy of the current healthcare system that I feel can be a hindrance to patient care and research at times.

Do you still feel anxiety or pressure during surgeries? How do you cope in such a high-stakes environment?

I always have a very healthy respect for the heart, because of the importance and possible consequences of things that can happen. 然而, I like to think I work well under pressure, 我相信我的经验和训练, as everyone in the room feeds off my attitude. 我在掌舵. It is important to remain calm so everyone, 包括护士, 学员, 和工作人员, can work toward providing the best possible outcomes for patients.

跟我说说你的家庭.

我在住院医生时认识了我的妻子梅加. She's an internist and pediatrician in the same hospital system at Brown. We’ve have two sons, Dhilan, who’s 3, and Shaan, who’s 1. We’ve only been in 罗德岛州 for a few years now, but we love the area. The beach is close by, and we go to Boston frequently.

10年后你有什么打算?

我希望能继续做我的工作. Continue to do research, participate in clinical trials, and teach. 继续看着我的孩子长大.