Meet Lucia You, MD, from Boston, MA. She attended Yale School of Medicine, and is a PGY-2 in the Traditional Internal Medicine Residency Program in the Department of Internal Medicine.
What led you to pursue a career in medicine?
I have always wanted to marry scientific knowledge with improving the quality of people's lives. During my college years, I explored many other careers that had aspects of both–as a researcher, as a health writer just to name a few–but I was drawn by the humanity I saw in my fellow premeds and the passion that they held for saving and improving lives. I knew that I wanted to be a part of that group. Since then, I have been humbled by the vulnerability that many of my patients have shown me and I am grateful for the privilege of learning from not only my coworkers at all levels but also learning about my patient's life stories and playing a small part in their health journey. Training at Yale has offered the support to allow me to spend time at the patient's bedside. I loved my time as a medical student here and have loved my transition to being a senior resident at this institution as well.
What are your goals after you complete internal medicine residency? Where do you see yourself?
I fell in love with Allergy and Immunology during medical school. I plan to pursue a career as a drug allergist at an academic institution. I hope to be able to desensitize patients to critically life-saving medications and offer a renewed hope in treating their illnesses. I am not sure where I will be in the next decade, but I hope to remain near family and friends and still be exploring the great outdoors through hikes and horseback riding.
Why did you choose Yale IMed for your internal medicine residency?
I went to school at YSM and I grew to love the institution and the internal medicine program. For the first few years of medical school, I was deciding between pursuing surgery or internal medicine. The decision seemed impossible as I loved very different aspects of both of the fields. What ultimately helped in making the decision was the friendliness and camaraderie of the internal medicine residents. Work was hard, but fun. There was an emphasis on learning and an emphasis on the patient. I remember as a medical student my resident allowing me the time to spend hours with a patient with metastatic prostate cancer. I learned about his fears of death and about his fears of how his family would cope. He shared with me stories of his youth, about playing flag football, and about his military endeavors. At his discharge, he held my hands and thanked me for being his doctor despite the fact that I told him that I was a student many times before. My resident pulled me aside later that day and thanked me for making such a difference in his care. These experiences at Yale were unquestionably why I wanted to stay. I knew I would grow as a physician in an environment that emphasized education and in a program that was responsive to the needs and concerns of its residents.
Describe your experience at Yale IMed in 3 words.
Supportive, formative, and empowering.
What is your fondest memory at Yale thus far?
I was working in the step-down unit with two of my favorite residents, both friends of mine, near Christmas. While we worked hard for our patients, we also didn't want to miss the Christmas cheer. On a day that we were all present, we all brought in a little something to celebrate. Soon, our workroom was filled with classic Christmas music and we were munching on cookies and candy that we had brought while answering nursing questions, placing orders, and admitting new patients to the floor. I felt blessed that I had supportive coworkers and that we could all enjoy the Christmas spirit.
Who has had the greatest influence on you, and why?
My mother has helped me through all the highs and lows of college, medical school, and now residency. I don't think that I would have achieved such clarity about my career or my future without her support and input.
If you could say anything to your younger self, what would you say?
Have more confidence in what you want to pursue and enjoy the process.
What's a fun fact about you?
I am a horseback rider! I started out in western show/barrel racing in college, then moved to dressage, and then finally started polo during medical school. While it has been difficult to make the time to ride, I hope to return to it very soon in the future.
What is one piece of advice you'd give someone who is applying for internal medicine residency?
If you have an idea of what you want to pursue in internal medicine, then look for an internal medicine program that can give you early exposure to that field (for example, Yale uniquely has a hepatology service and so the residents have more exposure and training to patients with decompensated cirrhosis then elsewhere). Also, think about how much you want to travel for work during residency. Not all hospitals with residents are right next door.
The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators and educators in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more about the department, visitInternal Medicine.