The Path to Becoming a Doctor Requires Stamina
By: Carbon Radio
Tags: Sustainability, Health, Medicine, Future, Healthcare

Dr. Chris Meinzen is a hospitalist at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. He earned his bachelor’s degree in creative writing and neuroscience at Tulane University in New Orleans, followed by working at the Red Cross, and eventually by medical school also at Tulane.

How did you decide to go to medical school?

I was a little bumbling at that age. I liked school, enjoyed learning, and had some good friends going in that direction. My family encouraged me to try it out, and here I am 10 years later.

Did you consider other healthcare or public health tracks?

I didn’t, but mostly due to lack of exposure. I think the larger impact of public health is really interesting. I’m not sure I had ever really considered other healthcare tracks, though there are a lot to look at for sure. The physical and occupational therapists always seem the happiest in the hospitals. Maybe I should’ve thought more about that.

What was your medical school application experience like?

It’s hard to remember now. I remember a lot of checking and rechecking some kind of clunky electronic system. I hope that’s gotten easier to use.

What was your medical school experience like?

I loved my classmates at Tulane, we had a wonderful time. I think our professors did a great job teaching us and leading us to think both scientifically about our patients as well as see them as people with their own lives, social group, and preferences. It was a great time to work hard, learn a lot, and enjoy New Orleans.

What was your residency application experience like?

I researched pulmonary diseases in Peru with a group out of Johns Hopkins for a year before going to residency. That was fun, and a great cultural experience, but it did make applying to residencies back in the States a little more difficult. There’s a lot of flights, and skin-deep conversation. Ultimately I’m thankful for it because it brought me to our home here in Grand Junction.

What was your residency experience like?

Residency is also great, though maybe not so cheery as medical school. You have to work hard, but you can’t control your schedule. Less sleep, more work, more practical knowledge, more people wanting your time. It was probably good preparation for life after residency, but it was pretty exhausting while it happened. I happen to think that St. Mary’s Family Medicine Residency was exceptional at preparing me for my varied clinical roles now, and can’t be more thankful. I just don’t think I could do that again from a stamina perspective.

What advice would you give to people interested in becoming a doctor?

It’s hard to really know what that will be like for you. It’s worth shadowing a doc, and getting to know a day in the life of a med student and resident is like. It’s a good 6–10 years on the path. Ha, I guess I’m saying other people should give the decision a little more consideration prior to jumping right in like I did.

How did you decide what to specialize in?

I actually applied for residencies in 4 different fields, because I had a hard time limiting myself. There’s a variety of ways to become a hospitalist, ER doc, residency preceptor. Family medicine at my program was one great path, there are likely other good ones too. I was lucky to have great rotations in medical school to learn how much I like thinking deeply about both pathology (what’s going wrong with a body) as well as how people want to live. Fortunately, I have continued to enjoy that.

What does continuing education look like for a doctor?

Well, we have some minimum number of credits or hours to remain licensed. I don’t really know the number, but I probably do 2–6 hours a week, which I think is quite a bit above the requirement. At least I hope it is.

There are powerpoints and books and lectures and hands-on courses and ultrasound things. It’s pretty cool what all you can learn with.

What is your current role like?

I have two contract positions. I am a hospitalist at St. Mary’s Hospital, which is the regional medical center in Grand Junction. Hospitalists are the people who daily care for sick people stuck in the hospital. The other is working shifts as an ER doc in a critical access hospital in Fruita, Colorado, called Colorado Canyons. ER shifts are pretty much what you’ve seen on TV.

The last thing I do, mostly because I enjoy it, is precepting our local residents a few times a month. This is a whole different view of medicine, focusing on developing these residents while ensuring great patient care. The variety for me is really fulfilling.

What changes do you see happening in the near future in U.S. healthcare?

That’s a great question. Probably more suited to Congress than to me. We have the most expensive healthcare system in the world, and not the most effective one. I think the mix of requirement for insurance by legislature, employers controlling many healthcare plans, along with the requirement that hospitals take all-comers, makes for a lot of expense. On the back end, it can be hard for a lot of people to access appropriate healthcare, or even know what they’re getting when they do get in. I’m not a politician or really all that astute about healthcare policy. It does seem like it’s too expensive and hard to navigate for a lot of Americans, so I imagine that’s the ripe avenue for change.

What advice would you give to recent medical school graduates?

Well, if you’re graduating medical school then I hope you found a residency spot. I guess you’d be a few months in, ideally still in your high enthusiasm stage. That’s good. Don’t judge yourself when you get tired or worn out. Notice what helps you recharge, and cultivate those opportunities. Give grace to yourself, your colleagues, and your patients. We’re all human. It means we all fall down, and sometimes it means we get to help the person beside us back up.