A Q&A with Jennifer Caputo-Seidler, MD, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
Early in my career, I was advised of the importance of finding a professional home. Being the society for hospitalists, SHM was a no-brainer. It’s a place to network and be inspired by what others are doing.
Dr. Caputo-Seidler
Q: Why did you choose a career in hospital medicine?
In part because I was exposed to a lot of inpatient ward months during residency and therefore felt confident in hospital medicine. But more so because I was drawn to the patients on a general medicine service. There is a wide range of demographics and lots of different diseases. You never know what each day is going to bring. I find that exciting and challenging.
Q: What’s been your biggest success?
It’s daunting to consider what my overall biggest success has been, so instead I’ll answer with a recent win. I’ve finally succeeded in setting boundaries around my availability, recognizing that it is unreasonable to be available all the time to everyone. I think Converge 25 was the first time I set an out of office message on my email!
Q: What challenges have you overcome?
The burnout I experienced during COVID-19 was a significant challenge for me. I was physically exhausted from the long hours working in the ICU. I was emotionally exhausted from losing so many patients and feeling helpless in trying to save them. I was seriously thinking about leaving medicine. It took a lot of work to get back to a place where I had joy in practicing medicine.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?
These days, I most enjoy my medical students. They are so full of optimism, big ideas, and potential. It’s refreshing to be around.
Q: Why did you join SHM?
Early in my career, I was advised of the importance of finding a professional home. Being the society for hospitalists, SHM was a no-brainer. It’s a place to network and be inspired by what others are doing.
Q: Why did you become an editorial board member?
I first applied to be a digital media editor and did not get the position. However, the reviewers of my application suggested I would be a good fit for the editorial board of The Hospitalist with my background in narrative medicine. It was a good example of people seeing a strength in you that you hadn’t realized yet.
Q: What’s the first page you turn to when you get your copy of The Hospitalist?
I always go from front cover to back. I can’t skip around any book or magazine.
Q: What’s your best piece of advice for new hospitalists?
Never be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. Sometimes in training, there is a culture of pushback from consultants who may question why you haven’t worked a problem up more or a sense that asking for a consult is showing your own knowledge gaps. Once you’re out of training, I think it’s important to reframe a consult as an ask for help in taking the best care of the patient. The answer to my question may be obvious to a specialist, but if that easy response on their part reassures me that nothing is being missed, I know I’ve done right by the patient.
Q: What’s something someone would be surprised to know about you?
I was a huge fan of professional wrestling growing up.
Q: What do you wish the world knew about hospitalists?
That we’re a specialty with a valuable skill set. Sometimes it feels like we’re viewed as the place to send patients when you don’t know where else they should go. But really, complex patients who require management of multimorbidity and care coordination are where we thrive.
Q: How do you stay motivated during stressful days?
I think about the last patient or student I helped. I keep any cards or emails I receive with words of gratitude or positive feedback so I always have something I can look at when I need that morale boost.
Dr. Caputo-Seidler earned her medical degree from SUNY Upstate and completed her residency at the University of South Florida.