Why did you choose Yale Department of Internal Medicine for your fellowship?
The combination of Yale’s strong cardiovascular medicine program, research opportunities, reputation for excellence, diverse patient population, and supportive learning environment is ideal for advancing my career in cardiovascular medicine. Yale is a terrific place to get rigorous clinical training with well-renowned faculty in one of the largest hospital systems in the nation. Simultaneously, Yale gives me access to cutting-edge research involving a rich and diverse patient population, furthering my goals of better understanding genetic and epigenetic drivers of disease phenotype and advancing precision medicine. Most importantly, my husband, a second-year hematology and oncology fellow, also trains at Yale. Yale united our family and allowed us to stay together.
What was your path to Yale?
I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, where my family still lives. I went to medical school at the American University of Beirut, where I met my husband. Knowing I was interested in a physician-scientist career track, I embarked on a two-year postdoctoral training program in medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to gain research experience and better develop my interests in translational genetic research and precision medicine. Following that, I pursued my residency in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where I discovered my passion for cardiovascular medicine, cardiomyopathies, and cardio-oncology.
You were recently named Consultant of the Month for April. Tell us about your approach to patient care.
Caring for patients is both humbling and rewarding. You meet patients in their most vulnerable state, and they often trust you with their most valuable assets—their body and their loved ones.
I focus on the impact a patient’s chief complaint has on their daily life before its medical significance. I try to help my patients understand and better live with their medical issues before “curing” them. One of my mentors often said, “Listen to the patient; they’re telling you the diagnosis.”
To ensure the best care, I communicate with the patient’s family, outpatient care team, nurses, and inpatient doctors, and I always try to check in with the team before and after patient encounters. Working with an outstanding team here at Yale is a bonus!
What’s a fun fact about you?
I delivered my first baby on the same day I passed my driving test—fortunately, not in the DMV parking lot.
The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.