A Q&A with Mehraneh Khalighi, MD, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care Systems, and the University of Washington, division of general internal medicine, Seattle
Try different aspects of hospital medicine to find your niche and build a fulfilling career.
Q: Why did you choose a career in hospital medicine?
I have always enjoyed caring for complex patients in the fast-paced and dynamic inpatient setting.
Q. What’s been your biggest success?
Systematic modernization of our preoperative evaluation center to incorporate evidence-based practices and procedures.
Q. What challenges have you overcome?
Dr. Khalighi
Managing my professional growth while raising a family was challenging and required adaptability, flexibility, and persistence.
Q. What do you enjoy most about your work?
The opportunity to connect with complex presurgical patients to help them determine their healthcare priorities and optimize their chances of achieving their healthcare goals with the best outcomes possible.
Q. Why did you join SHM?
To connect with colleagues, stay up to date in my field, and challenge myself to set new goals for continued professional growth.
Q. Why did you become an editorial board member?
As an editorial board member, I am hoping to stay engaged with the hospitalist community and strengthen my expertise while collaborating with other members to contribute to advancing the field of hospital medicine.
Q. What’s the first page you turn to when you get your copy of The Hospitalist?
In the Literature and Key Clinical Questions
Q. What’s your best piece of advice for new hospitalists?
Try different aspects of hospital medicine to find your niche and build a fulfilling career.
Q. What’s something someone would be surprised to know about you?
I sat under the Delicate Arch in Utah with my legs dangling over the edge despite of my fear
of heights.
Q. What do you wish the world knew about hospitalists?
Hospitalists are specialists with unique expertise to manage complex, critically ill patients in the hospital setting.
Q. How do you stay motivated during stressful days?
I try to maintain a growth mindset that helps me focus on the big picture as my motivation during stressful times. Also, seeking advice from my colleagues and staying connected with them often provides a different perspective that can be encouraging and motivating.
Dr. Khalighi earned her medical degree from and completed her residency at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.