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Sarah C. Hull, MD, MBE

Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)
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Additional Titles

Associate Director, Program for Biomedical Ethics

Contact Info

Cardiovascular Medicine

15 York Street, PO Box 208017

New Haven, CT 06520-8017

United States

About

Titles

Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)

Associate Director, Program for Biomedical Ethics

Biography

Sarah C. Hull, MD, MBE is a board-certified cardiologist whose clinical practice is focused on echocardiography and cardio-oncology (cardiac care of cancer patients). She is the cardiology course director at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), where she also serves as Associate Director of the Program for Biomedical Ethics. She was awarded the Bohmfalk Prize for teaching in basic sciences in 2021. Her recent scholarly work has focused on ethical issues involving ventricular assist devices as destination therapy, ethical considerations in the care of patients with recurrent injection drug use related endocarditis, shared decision making in cardio-oncology, nutrition ethics, and ethical issues raised during the COVID pandemic.

Appointments

Education & Training

Fellowship
Yale University School of Medicine (2014)
Internship/Residency
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (2011)
MD
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (2008)
MBE
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (2008)
AB
Harvard University, Biochemical Sciences (2003)

Research

Overview

As my scholarly expertise is within the domain of bioethics, most of my work has been philosophically focused rather than traditional scientific research. My particular areas of interest within bioethics include end-of-life considerations, futility and conscientious objection, vaccine and public health ethics, and nutrition ethics.

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Sarah C. Hull's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

2020

2019

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Associate Director, Program for Biomedical Ethics

  • activity

    Clinical cardiology, cardio-oncology, and echocardiography

Clinical Care

Overview

Sarah C. Hull, MD, MBE is a cardiologist at Yale Medicine. She specializes in general cardiology, echocardiography (imaging of the heart using ultrasound), and cardio-oncology, which is a field that encompasses both cancer patients with underlying heart disease and cancer patients who are undergoing therapies that put them at risk of cardiac complications.

Dr. Hull first became interested in cardiology in junior high school when she saw a schematic image of a heart in a textbook—and how it delivered oxygenated blood and nutrients through the body. “I just remember thinking that there was something unbelievably simple and elegant and beautiful about it,” she says.

She went on to complete an undergraduate degree in biochemical sciences at Harvard, her medical school education and internal medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and her cardiology fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. She joined the clinical faculty in 2014.

One of the things Dr. Hull enjoys the most about cardiology is the variety of challenges she faces every day: “There’s a mix of acute problems where you have to understand complex physiology and think quickly in order to stabilize patients,” she says. “Then there’s also a lot of chronic care that involves developing relationships with patients and figuring out how you can improve their lifestyle habits and medication regimens to improve their longevity and quality of life.”

Before meeting with each patient, Dr. Hull reviews their chart extensively beforehand to get a sense of their medical history and current condition. This includes studying their cardiac testing, lab work, and reason for referral. This all helps direct her questioning when meeting with patients. From there, Dr. Hull will ask patients about the details of their condition and see how that fits with the information she already has.

Once she arrives at a diagnosis or treatment plan, Dr. Hull explains it to the patients in simple terms, sometimes drawing diagrams or using what she calls “if/then statements.” These statements give patients an idea of what to expect if a certain treatment option provides a certain result and what further steps they will take. “I think knowledge is power. Patients want to understand their illnesses. They don’t just want to be told, ‘Get this test,’ or ‘Take this pill,’” she says.

Ultimately, Dr. Hull believes that helping patients improve or maintain their health is connected to empowering them to understand and commit to a treatment plan with which they feel comfortable. “One of the things I like to tell them is, ‘You’re the boss and I’m the expert. Ultimately, you’re the one in charge, because it’s your body.’”

Dr. Hull is fluent in French and English. She is also board certified in cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Clinical Specialties

Cardiovascular Medicine

Fact Sheets

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Get In Touch

Contacts

Appointment Number
Mailing Address

Cardiovascular Medicine

15 York Street, PO Box 208017

New Haven, CT 06520-8017

United States

Locations

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