Fellow Focus in Four will introduce you to fellows from each section of the Department of Internal Medicine. This month's fellow is Bryan Terry, MD, Palliative Care.
Why did you choose medicine?
I like helping people, and a Ph.D. was too hard. 🙂 Growing up, I never thought I would pursue a career in medicine. My father is a dentist, and on multiple occasions when I was a child, I would be in his office and see the bloody mess of his surgeries and couldn’t stomach it. Somehow, I got over my blood aversion and realized that medicine is the best way to apply technical expertise, art, and personal connection in a meaningful and impactful way.
Why did you choose Yale Department of Internal Medicine for your fellowship?
A combined program in geriatrics, hospice and palliative medicine is what I was looking for, and Yale New Haven Health has an amazing diversity of services and faculty in both specialties. All aspects of both specialties are presented in such a compelling way that there is no option but to be enthusiastic about them. From the Center for Restorative Care to The Connecticut Hospice, from the Adler center to ventricular assist device consults, the multitude of settings and training sites makes you adapt quickly and become comfortable in a variety of practice settings. Lastly, and not least, the amount of time I am allotted for leadership training and research has allowed me to expand my horizons beyond what I thought was possible in such a short period of time.
What was your path to Yale?
Undergraduate at University of Maryland, where I met some of my lifelong friends. Medical school at St. George’s University SOM in Grenada (Caribbean), where I met my wife (she’s Ob/Gyn). And internal medicine residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center – this was most impactful for me in deciding to specialize in geriatrics and palliative medicine as I saw the need for those things every day of my training.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I love snowboarding and mountain biking.
Extra Credit:
Perks of Living in New Haven? Connecticut?
Good food and nice people!
What is your 5-year goal? 10-year? Overall career?
Briefly, 5-year: get a job that can mix both geriatrics and palliative medicine in inpatient and outpatient settings. 10-year: leadership position in the field, and maybe become involved in an academic program.