( l to r ) Dr . O ’ Brien at graduation from the University of Louisville School of Medicine alongside her mother , Dr . Susan Johns ; Dr . O ’ Brien and her children on a hike ; The O ’ Brien family on vacation in New Mexico .
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So off to Alabama they went for residency and warmer weather . While in residency , as her co-residents flirted with the idea of fellowships , she realized that wasn ’ t the path for her .
“ What drew me to OB-GYN was the full scope of things , from annuals and birth control to delivering babies and doing surgeries . I didn ’ t want to cut any of that out by doing a fellowship and losing that general OB-GYN . It was nice because in my final year of residency , I was able to just be a really well-trained generalist and focus on that .”
At the end of her third year in residency , her oldest son was born and they realized they wanted to be close to family again , so they looked for jobs in Louisville and Boston . Ultimately , they moved back to Louisville in June 2020 after she interviewed at the very practice where she saw that first C-section years ago . She started with Norton Women ’ s Care Physicians of Louisville and has been there ever since . While finishing residency and starting practice in the heart of the pandemic wasn ’ t ideal , it did have some silver linings such as getting to see her baby ’ s first steps , something she was certain she ’ d miss due to work hours .
At the core of Dr . O ’ Brien ’ s patient care philosophy is relatability . When she has a new patient come in , she brings them in her office to sit down and talk first .
“ People seem to appreciate that ability to have a conversation .
I know it ’ s awkward , I get that part of it for sure . So , I try to talk to people with their clothes on first . I also will open up with patients about what I ’ ve been through in my own experiences if it relates to what they ’ re going through .”
A big part of her role as an OB-GYN is one who empowers and listens . Because their practice model allows physicians to see patients through all stages of their care , she really gets to know them and takes a personal interest in helping them through all stages of their lives .
“ I get to help women through these important life changes . I really enjoy empowering women as they go through pregnancy , or menopause , or even talking to them if they don ’ t want kids . Really discussing what the next phase of their life is going to be . I hate running behind , but I find that I do that more often than I ’ d like because if someone is dealing with something big like a miscarriage , or not being pregnant when they wanted to be , or even at an annual where they tell me that their mom has dementia and how challenging it is at that time , a lot of it is listening . When you can form that good relationship and trust , people are more likely to take your advice when you give it .”
Sharing her experiences with her patients comes naturally , as she ’ s a mother of three : Mac , 5 , Rowan , 3 , and Keaton , 1 . Trevor helps hold down the fort at home after several years in the non-profit world . They also have a lab mix rescue dog named Ruby to help round out the crew . They love to spend time outside as a family , and Dr . O ’ Brien loves biking and running . When she gets some
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