I am a surgeon in digital health. Here is my story.
I was born in the US Virgin Islands. When I was 5, my family moved to Northern California. I graduated from high school in Santa Rosa.
I attended Stanford University where I majored in Earth Systems. There, I met my husband Benn. We now have 3 kids.
I did something unusual during my undergraduate years when I took a 1-year leave from my studies to operate a non-profit called the Quest Scholars Program. This was a tremendous learning experience.
To earn money in college, I also worked as a Spanish interpreter in a local emergency department. That exposure to patient care inspired me to go to medical school.
I went to medical school at Stanford. I was fortunate to receive a scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which enabled me to pursue a dual MBA degree. I chose an MBA degree because I felt that the no-nonsense operating style and profit incentives of business would be the best way to make a difference in health services delivery.
During my clinical rotations as a medical student, I absolutely fell in love with general surgery. I loved the work and I loved the people. I had found my tribe.
I again stayed at Stanford for residency in General Surgery. Stanford offered outstanding clinical training, great people, and some great adventures. During residency, I traveled to Rwanda for a surgical mission, did an away rotation in Zimbabwe, and during a 1 year period of professional development, I built a software product at a hospital system in Bangalore, India. That project was my first exposure to software product management.
After residency, I did a fellowship in Surgical Critical Care and LA County + USC Medical Center. I chose LAC+USC for the high operative volume and high acuity trauma.
After fellowship, I decided the time had come to shift focus back to the business of healthcare. I love being a surgeon but I wanted to find a new, steep learning curve and a way to move quickly to drive change.
I joined an early-stage company called Suki as it was just getting started. Suki is re-imagining how doctors interact with technology in the workplace, using voice and a user-friendly approach borrowed from consumer software. My role at Suki was product management.
I am very proud of what we have built at Suki. Most of all, I am proud of the team and grateful for the friendships we have forged on this journey.
Another great thing about Suki – since we are building for doctors, it made perfect sense for me to keep seeing patients. I practice acute care surgery and critical care medicine at Kaiser, with a teaching affiliation at Stanford.
After 5 years of incredible learning, I have recently transitioned to the role of Strategic Advisor at Suki. I am looking forward to my next adventure!