to explore all options before deciding on an answer . This rang true in medical school as well .
“ As I was going through those first couple of years , I really didn ’ t know what sort of medicine I wanted to practice . Every advisor told me that I didn ’ t have to decide right then , and when people asked me what kind of doctor I wanted to be , that I could just tell them I wanted to be a good doctor .”
As it turns out though , that answer can only take you so far and eventually she had to make a decision . She started narrowing by the process of elimination .
“ I knew that I didn ’ t want to be a surgeon , I didn ’ t want to be an emergency physician , I didn ’ t want to be an OB-GYN . I really loved both my pediatrics and my internal medicine rotations , so I narrowed it down to those two . But every time I was on a rotation for pediatrics , I would love it and know that was what I wanted to do . Then the same would happen when I was on an internal medicine rotation .”
The summer before her fourth year , she did a rotation at a pediatric diabetes camp and spent time with kids , helping to teach them how to manage their insulin and blood sugars and treating hypoglycemia in the middle of the night . The realization that she could combine her love for all of the above manifested itself when she applied for a med-peds residency .
The Match landed her at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and over the next four years of residency , she got to put her studies and passion into practice . During training ,
she explored the idea of specializing or staying in primary care . She loved that primary care focuses on relationships and getting to know patients personally in addition to their disease processes . On the other hand , the less appealing parts included never knowing what ’ s on the schedule that day – anything from a migraine , to appendicitis , to a cold could walk in the door – and she wanted something that would allow her to plan and prepare .
“ I always liked endocrinology , even during my first couple of years of medical school , learning about the feedback loops and the physiology and connections between the different parts of the endocrine system . When I rotated through endocrinology , the patients who had those diagnoses were super cool people .”
After residency , she moved to Indianapolis for a dual-fellowship in both adult and pediatric endocrinology at Indiana University and Riley Hospital . After finishing , a co-fellow and Louisville native contacted Dr . Folsom with an opportunity .
“ She reached out and told me that they were looking for a pediatric endocrinologist in a program that was really growing and that there was also adult endocrinology at the University of Louisville so I could feasibly do both . She asked if I was interested and I said ‘ No , thank you ’ because I was just not planning to live in Kentucky .”
Her friend was persuasive , though , telling Dr . Folsom that the division chief was an inspirational , visionary person and that she should at least talk to him . Begrudgingly , she agreed to the call ,
( continued on page 32 ) December 2023 31