A Day in The Life of a Leading Female Hospitalist with Dr. Anita Vanka - Women's Health Wednesday
“I find it an absolute privilege to care for people at their most vulnerable, and to be able to develop strong relationships with my patients “ Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Anita Vanka is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Hospitalist in the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Anita shares her top advice to those applying to residency programs, a day in her life as a hospitalist, and her exciting passion for running marathons. Enjoy her story!
1. Tell us about your journey into medicine and why you chose to be a hospitalist?
I was drawn to the field of Medicine at an early age based on my interest in the biological sciences and the ability to apply that knowledge to the care of people. This interest was solidified throughout high school and undergrad via medical volunteer opportunities within the hospital and continued study of human physiology. During this time, I also developed a significant interest for education and teaching, and knew I wanted this to also be a part of my future career.
I entered medical school with a very strong interest for surgery, as I loved anatomy and the ability to work directly with my hands. I spent time shadowing surgeons during my first two years of medical school which furthered my interest even more. To my complete surprise, during my clinical year of medical school, I fell in love with Internal Medicine as it was a perfect blend of human physi0logy with the care of the whole person.
Upon receiving my Doctor of Medicine from the University of Illinois, I proceeded to residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. During my residency, I found myself drawn to all the various specialties of Internal Medicine and realized I preferred to stay as a “generalist” rather than further specializing in one field. I chose Hospital Medicine as I love the acuity of the clinical medicine seen and the rapid pace environment, while also having the time and space to think through patient conditions and develop relationships with patients and their loved ones. I find it an absolute privilege to care for people at their most vulnerable, and to be able to develop strong relationships with my patients quickly despite the transitory nature of their time in the hospital. Additionally, as a Hospitalist at an academic medical center, I work closely with residents and medical students, which allows me to enjoy teaching in the moment during patient care, as well as to further combine my clinical work with the other half of my job, which is in medical education at Harvard Medical School. I have been a faculty member within the Section of Hospital Medicine at BIDMC for the past 12 years.
2. Hospital medicine is rewarding career. What is life like working as a hospitalist? What does a typical day in the life look life?
As an academic hospitalist, I have the wonderful opportunity to care for hospitalized patients, work closely with and supervise residents and medical students, and teach learners in various settings. I split my time between clinical “service” during which I am caring for a cohort of patients in the hospital either with or without residents, with administrative and teaching time related to my roles at the medical school.
When on clinical service, my day is usually structured with morning rounds during which I see patients, follow up on their testing, and create daily management plans for their care. Afternoons are spent following up on patient care, updating patients and their loved ones, meetings related to patient care and education, and teaching sessions with residents and students.
Hours and weekends are variable based on the day, type of service, and patient load. I generally work 10-12 hour days and 1 weekend a month.
3. What are some advantages of working in a hospital setting as opposed to private practice?
As a Hospitalist, my scope of practice will always involve the hospital. Within the hospital system, there are academic large hospitals (such as where I work), academic community hospitals, and community hospitals. Each offers its own unique setting with varied responsibilities and patient case mix. Given my involvement with medical education, I prefer working in a large academic setting in which I routinely work with residents and students. Large academic hospitals also see a higher acuity case mix as they serve as a referral center for smaller hospitals within their network.
4. What advice would you give to someone applying for residency?
I recommend every applicant applying to residency to have a mentor within the specialty to which they are applying into, in addition to any mentorship and advising already happening at the medical school. The specialty-specific mentorship is valuable in many ways, including providing guidance on the application, what programs look for, programs to consider applying to based on the applicant’s level of competitiveness, and approach to interviews. The specialty mentor is also a wonderful resource for overall networking within the field and helping potentially connect the applicant with research opportunities and/or other mentors within the field based on the applicant’s need.
5. You also have a passion for running and have run half marathons. How did you develop this passion and how do you train for it? What role does running play in your life?
I was part of my high school cross-country team for four years. Through this, I discovered my love for running, competitive sports, and being a part of a team. This sport gave me an identity during high school and taught me so much about discipline and the importance of hard work to reach your goals. After I graduated high school though, I felt lost, not being part of a team and not having predefined goals to help motivate me. I stopped running for more than a decade. I realized at the end of my residency how unhealthy I was and finally acknowledged how important exercise is for both mental and physical health. I slowly got back into running and discovered what running meant to me as a solo sport. It is my stress relief, my meditation, and my moment of gratitude for my health and life. I also discovered the joy of sharing this solo sport with others in running events. Over the past ten years, I have run 13 half marathons, and several 10Ks and 5 Ks. I hope to run my first marathon this year!
Thank you Anita for sharing your story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
Bio: Dr. Anita Vanka is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Hospitalist in the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Dr. Vanka received her M.D. with Honors from the University of Illinois, followed by residency and chief residency at BIDMC. She holds several leadership positions at Harvard Medical School. She currently is the Director of the Practice of Medicine course at HMS; an Associate Director and Advisor of the Hinton Society at HMS; and the Associate Site Director of the Core I Medicine Clerkship at BIDMC.