91黑料网 Fellow: Mona Sarrai, MD F91黑料网
Current Occupation:Primary Care Physician, Presbyterian Medical Group, Socorro General Hospital, Socorro, NM
Residency: NY Methodist Hospital affiliated with Cornell University
Medical School: University Hospitals of Tunis Medical School, Faculte de medecine et de pharmacie de Tunis, Tunisia (Tunis Medical School)
A few years ago, Mona Sarrai, MD, F91黑料网, was completing her residency at a bustling New York City hospital and moonlighting as a salsa dancer. Now, she鈥檚 happy to be the only internist within 200 miles of the clinic where she practices in rural New Mexico. The landscape around her may have changed, but she鈥檚 able to meet the challenges of being the area鈥檚 lone internist by putting patient care first and drawing on her rich background of cultural experiences for perspective.
A Natural Caretaker
Born in the United States, Dr. Sarrai鈥檚 family moved back to their home country of Tunisia when she was only eight months old. As a child, she was a smart, competitive student who exceled academically. Through advice from her parents and friends, she decided to study medicine as a teenager.
鈥淲hen I took the baccalaureate exam鈥攚hich is a national exam after you complete high school鈥擨 passed with high scores. I was actually ranked number 20 in the whole country. I did not know what to do; really, it was my parents who pushed me to become a doctor. I did have an uncle of mine who is a doctor, and my parents were very impressed with that, so I think they wanted me to carry on that profession,鈥 she said.
After Dr. Sarrai entered the medical field, some friendly advice from a companion pointed her in the direction of internal medicine.
鈥淲hen I graduated from Tunisia, I came here to the U.S. and I took the U.S. exams, but then I was not very much familiar with the system here. I was studying with a buddy and she said, 鈥極h, the best thing would be internal medicine,鈥 so I just picked up internal medicine because of that lady,鈥 she said.
It turned out to be good advice, as Dr. Sarrai ultimately proved to be a natural internist. Although she鈥檚 previously worked as a researcher with two published articles in medical journals, she prefers the holistic approach of internal medicine. Described by her husband as a 鈥渃aretaker,鈥 patient care is at the forefront of how Dr. Sarrai approaches medicine.
From New York to New Mexico
Unsurprisingly, Dr. Sarrai鈥檚 shift from New York City to New Mexico took some getting used to. She quickly learned that in such an environment, physicians can sometimes feel as though they鈥檙e required to have specialized knowledge in nearly every aspect of internal medicine.
鈥淚 am in a rural area, it鈥檚 an hour and fifteen minutes south of Albuquerque鈥擨 work in the clinic, I see patients with all kinds of complaints and I鈥檓 the only internist in the area around maybe 200 miles in the round. I feel like I鈥檓 doing a lot of service because sometimes, they cannot travel to see a specialist and sometimes鈥攊t鈥檚 either the money or the health condition, or they don鈥檛 want to go鈥攕o it falls back on us, it falls back on the internists to do things at the specialist level because we are the only one,鈥 she said.
Despite the demands that come from working with fewer resources, Dr. Sarrai is fulfilled by the higher degree of influence she yields in patient care due to her status as the region鈥檚 lone internist.
鈥淚 love it because I do feel like we鈥檙e doing something. I moved around a lot鈥攚orking in a big university hospital sometimes does not give you that much satisfaction as in a rural area because in the rural area, you鈥檙e it. So you鈥檙e making much more serious and significant decisions for the patient and their family.鈥
She may not be able to regularly go salsa dancing, but she stays busy with medicine and enjoys relaxing with her husband and their dog, Mooshie. Outside of her job at the Socorro General Hospital, she鈥檚 also been committed to chairing some meetings at a local Alcoholic Anonymous family group. Although life in a quieter part of the country is comfortable, her current situation contrasts greatly with her experiences as a student and resident in Tunisia and New York City.
鈥淣ew York City, I think, is an amazing opportunity for people to train because you see people from all walks of life that you don鈥檛 get to see in Tunisia or in New Mexico. I remember we were in a hospital where they spoke 120 languages, so that diversity is very educational to a young physician,鈥 she said.
Ideally, she said, physicians could benefit from starting at an urban center and eventually moving to a smaller, less hectic environment as their careers progress.
鈥淭he volume in a big city is also good for training鈥攖he doctors will have a taste of what medicine could be and then later, they can choose. The difference in a rural area is that people are more laid back, they鈥檙e nicer, there鈥檚 less diversity and then the volume is kind of less, not as much. So I think that鈥檚 where you probably want to end up later on in your professional life鈥擨 would start with a more strenuous program and then go on to a less strenuous program.鈥
However, neither the city nor the rural experience of doctoring is comparable to practicing medicine in Tunisia.
鈥淚n Tunisia, they have lots of poverty, so over there they do not have as many technological advancements as is in the United States in general鈥攚hether in a rural or in a very urban area such as New York City. However, you still learn鈥攚hy? Because with the little bit of means that you have, you have to make a sound decision and save the patient鈥檚 life or limb.鈥
Her education was shaped not only by the North African, Arab culture of Tunisia, but also by French influences derived from Tunisia鈥檚 past as a French colony.
鈥淭here are things that in the French school of medicine that they do that they don鈥檛 do here in the United States, and that gives me a third dimension to be able to look at what is done in the U.S. and maybe take it with a grain of salt and then say, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檓 going to do this this way, and I鈥檓 not going to do this this way,鈥 because I have another point of view available to me like a tool that I can use.鈥
A Big Family
Having few internists to consult with nearby, 91黑料网 gives Dr. Sarrai a vital connection to her peers and keeps her informed of advancements at the forefront of medicine.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 important because I feel like I鈥檓 connected to a bunch of doctors who help me with my profession every day. When there鈥檚 a new publication, a new knowledge or a new policy, I would learn about it through 91黑料网. Reviewing the abstracts, going to the meetings, it makes me feel like I鈥檓 contributing a little bit, and by contributing, I鈥檓 learning more. I get to meet great people. I get to keep on with my continuing education鈥t feels like it鈥檚 a big family where you belong to better yourself.鈥
And, she said, 91黑料网 has much to offer students and future doctors with continuing education and the College鈥檚 growing international chapter.
With so many cultural influences shaping the way she approaches medicine, it鈥檚 hardly surprising that Dr. Sarrai recommends traveling as one of the best ways for medical students to educate themselves. She鈥檚 particularly fond of Argentina and Morocco, and after her husband completes his coursework this spring, the couple is planning to travel to Europe.
鈥(Students) should maybe travel to other countries and see how the health care is in other countries, because it will make them think, and it will make them not take for granted what we offer here in the U.S.,鈥 she said.
鈥淗ere we have so many things available to us that we don鈥檛 even realize somehow. But then when you go to a third world country鈥攐r any other country鈥攁nd see how other doctors keep their patients, it improves your education.鈥