Nasrien Ibrahim, MD, MHS
Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist
Associate Program Director, Cardiology Fellowship
Inova Heart and Vascular Institute
Associate Editor, Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Heart Failure
Incoming Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Minority Health Policy, Harvard University '22-'23

During an interview with Zakaria Almuwaqqat, a Fellow in Training (FIT) at Emory University, Nasrien Ibrahim, MD, MHS, Director of Heart Failure Clinical Research at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute and the Equity in Heart Transplant Project, discusses equity and access to healthcare.

Jason N Katz, MD, MHS
Associate Professor of Medicine Director of Cardiovascular Critical Care, Duke University Health System & Duke Heart
Co-Director, Duke Mechanical Circulatory Support Program
Co-Director, Duke Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Duke University Medical Center

During an interview with Zakaria Almuwaqqat, a Fellow in Training (FIT) at Emory University, Jason Katz, MD, MHS, Director of Cardiovascular Critical Care at Duke University Health System and Duke Mechanical Circulatory Support Program, discusses advancements in the field of critical care cardiology.

Written by Tsion Aberra, MD
Cardiology Fellow at MedStar Georgetown/Washington Hospital Center

At the AHA Scientific Sessions 2021 FIT Lounge, my colleagues and I on the FIT Sessions Planning Committee had the opportunity to moderate some amazing panels featuring distinguished guests from the AHA. I co-moderated two separate sessions on topics that I find both interesting and very important for FITs. In this article, I’d like to summarize some of the key insights from these sessions in the hopes that it might benefit others. The first panel, “Into the Unknown: Transitioning to Your Next Career Stage” took place on November 15 and started on a high note. After brief introductions, Ann Marie Navar introduced the idea that conflict around choosing the right career path can often mean that there are multiple good options rather than only one correct choice. She also cautioned that it is important to get offers from multiple institutions to understand your worth and negotiate for the job you want. Jeffrey Hsu encouraged us to think about what kind of environments make us feel the most fulfilled. He also advised that keeping and open mind and starting conversations with faculty while in fellowship about the particulars of their chosen career paths can provide invaluable insight. Nosheen Reza agreed that it’s never too early to start talking to people about potential career paths. Her own chosen pathway was largely influenced by experiences and exposures she had during her second year of fellowship. Rushi Parikh cautioned that it is important to make sure you like the bread and butter of a career path since that will comprise most of your time and efforts. When it comes to the job search itself, Ahmad Masri suggested that it is important to evaluate different kinds of job structures and work environments before deciding, even if the decision of where you want to be is already clear. The conversation went on to include practical tips about contract negotiation and easing the transition from fellow to first year attending. All in all, it was an excellent discussion with a lot of useful perspective.

I was also very excited to co-moderate a FIT Lounge session titled, “Finding Ikigai: Wellness in Cardiovascular Medicine”. After meeting our panelists, Laxmi Mehta provided figures from survey data on burnout among physicians. In particular, she shared a 2015 survey which found that 27% of cardiologists and FITs were self-reporting burnout. These figures doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, she stated, we must be open to the concept that any of us can burn out as we tend to have less recognition of and compassion for burnout in ourselves. When asked what she thinks can help reduce burnout she listed three key strategies: a more inclusive culture allowing for vulnerability, maintaining human connections, and remembering what it is we enjoy about medicine. Erin Michos added that it is important to “fill your own cup” before filling the cup of others. She advised us to seek out and utilize our “protective bubble”, those trusted friends or family who can be relied upon during difficult circumstances. She also suggested that practicing gratitude and the joy that comes from giving back can both be helpful in preventing burnout. Andrew Sauer drew from his experiences caring for patients at the end-of-life, suggesting that we begin with the end in mind by asking the question: “at the end of my life what would I want to have accomplished?” Ultimately, he advised that one way to accomplish these priorities is to promote habits that enrich your life. Michael Shapiro relayed that success is related to everyone’s happiness and thus, it means something different to everyone. He advised to be honest with yourself about which elements of your future career you believe are going to make you happiest to seek those out as priorities. In the meeting each of the panelists shared personal stories and insights which influenced their understanding of the importance of promoting wellness and utilizing strategies for avoiding burnout. By the end there were several questions, but limited time so we thanked the panelists after a brief Q&A from the audience. Both sessions were of tremendous value, and I hope that others got as much from them as I did. Overall, it was a great success, and I am thankful to the panelists, FIT Lounge planning committee and AHA for putting together a great event.

Editors in Chief:
Tsion Aberra, MD
Georgetown University/Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington DC

Zakaria Almuwaqqat, MD
Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Sasha Prisco, MD, PhD
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Immediate Past Editors/Advisors:
Aubrey J Grant, MD
Georgetown University/Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington DC

Anum Saeed, MD
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA

AHA Liaison/Senior Contact:
Eddie Pan

Newsletter Contact:

[email protected]