Back at Yale: From Custodian to Anesthesiology Resident

As new residents across the country arrive for the first time at the institutions where they have matched for training, Shay Taylor, MD, anesthesiology resident, has returned to familiar ground. She recently embarked on her residency journey at Yale School of Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology and is feeling a range of emotions as she returns to the halls where she was born, and where she once worked as a custodian.

“Walking in was definitely emotional,” she remarks, when asked about what it has been like to return to Yale. “I actually cleaned some of the anesthesiology offices back in the day. Sometimes, I see some people who didn’t know me at the time, but I knew them because I took out their trash. So, it’s very emotional.”

Taylor, who grew up in New Haven, worked in that role at Yale New Haven Hospital for a decade before deciding she wanted to become a doctor. She recently completed medical school at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and matched into Yale’s anesthesiology residency program.

As she worked toward her MD and considered what specialty she wanted to explore, her passion for advocacy and patient-doctor communication inspired her to pursue anesthesiology.

“A lot of people think that anesthesiologists don’t talk to their patients. They think we kind of just put them to sleep,” says Taylor. “But I love to talk to my patients and make them feel comfortable. I can provide that comfort so they can feel ready for their surgeries, because it’s a scary thing to go through. I really want to be an advocate for my patients right before surgery.”

Now, as her residency orientation has gotten underway, Taylor is eager to immerse herself in this new chapter of her professional career while returning to the familiarity of her beloved New Haven community.

When asked what she is most looking forward to as she returns to New Haven and begins residency at Yale, she says, “So many things. Of course, being around people that feel like family. I’m excited to work with everybody in the hospital—and I’m talking from food service staff, to janitors, to nurses, all the way up to my attendings and CEOs. I’m just excited to build those relationships with everybody in the hospital. I’m truly excited to work with the patient population of New Haven.”

The full-circle feeling of returning to her hometown and former workplace is deeply meaningful to Taylor, but it’s not the only thing she is excited about. There is a strong sense of camaraderie among the residents in Yale’s Department of Anesthesiology, and she is thrilled to officially be part of that community.

“I’m really looking forward to building that tight relationship with my fellow residents,” says Taylor. “I know some people who leave residency, and say their former colleagues were part of their wedding, or they’re the godparents to each other’s kids now. It’s a very close relationship.”

When she matched to residency at Yale’s Department of Anesthesiology back in March, Taylor’s moving story drew widespread attention. Now, she hopes to continue inspiring people, both in and out of the operating room. As she considers the impact her story continues to have as she returns to campus, she has some key takeaway messages she wants everyone to gain from it.

“I hope that I’m showing people that there is hope, no matter where you start. It’s not always going to determine where you finish,” says Taylor. “I’m hoping that, people that work in a hospital environment specifically, know it’s never too late to go back to school and do those things they want to do in life, no matter what job title they work. If there’s something that you truly want to go for, I say go for it. Don’t let anything stop you.”