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University of California San Diego
Krunal Patel, MD – resident at the UC San Diego Internal Medicine residency program
I first became interested in CF as a medical student when I had the incredible opportunity to rotate through the Advanced Lung Disease & Transplant Department at Inova Fairfax Hospital. There, I had the privilege to work with the CF department in clinical and research settings. I was struck by the strong bonds patients with CF formed with their healthcare team due to their complex needs and frequent visits. I enjoyed being part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach involving physicians, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, and pharmacists. In addition, the involvement of multiple organ systems such as the pulmonary, gastrointestinal, infectious disease, and endocrine systems while considering psychosocial elements provided an intellectually engaging aspect to caring for people with CF.
From a research perspective, the story of CF shows how collaborative effort and dedication can transform lives. Hearing patients’ stories firsthand of how radically their lives changed with CFTR modulator therapy was an inspiration for someone like me who has dedicated their career to the medical field. After my rotation, I took the opportunity to work on various research projects to learn more about CF.
Currently, I am a resident at UCSD with plans to pursue a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship. I hope to continue engaging with the CF community as I continue my training to become a physician.
Thursday, September 26, 2024
10:15 AM – 12:15 PM ET
Friday, September 27, 2024
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM ET