Dr. Stephen Grado completed medical school at UMMC and internal medicine residency at Brown University. He is currently a PGY-V cardiology fellow at UMMC. Here, he reflects on the pivotal moments during training that led him to pursue cardiology and a bit about his diverse interests outside of medicine.
When did you know you wanted to pursue cardiology?
During the summer following my first year of medical school at UMMC, Dr. Michael Hall served as my mentor for the Medical Student Research Program. I was also invited to participate in daily UMMC cardiology rounds, observing TTE and TEE in the echo lab, witnessing complex cases with unique pathologies in the cath lab, and seeing the technological and procedural side of cardiology up close for the first time. I experienced an “aha” moment seeing the direct application of imaging and intervention based on the patient’s history and clinical presentation. Later in medical school, my experience in the congenital heart clinic with Dr. Mike McMullen also made a lasting impression. I was touched by the close relationship he had with his many patients; some of whom had been his cardiology patients for their entire adult lives. During the remainder of medical school, my research, clinical rotations, and extracurricular activities reflected my growing interest in cardiology. During internal medicine residency at Brown University, I kept coming back to the heart. Whether spending time with patients in my primary care clinic treating hyperlipidemia and hypertension, rounding on patients with cardiogenic shock, or gathering echocardiograms for research projects, I find cardiac care especially rewarding.
What do you like most about UMMC?
The patient population, dedicated faculty, and valuable professional mentorship.
What advice would you give to the interns?
Time management is most important when starting out. Make time for sleep, read about your patients, and create a workflow that helps you keep on track with your daily schedule. Keep an open mind to build independent clinical reasoning.
What could you give a 40 minute presentation on without preparation?
I like movies, particularly iconic film directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, and Martin Scorsese. Also, I’m a big fan of Humphrey Bogart.
What is something you wish you knew more about?
I like to learn and have a rotating set of interests, so generally I’ll like to know more about everything. Lately, I’ve been interested in personal finance, and I don’t know much about investing or stocks, so I guess that would be nice to know more about.
What are some small things that make your day better?
Eight hours of sleep, sunshine and cool weather, helping patients. Sometimes UVA college basketball.
Tell us something about you that most people don’t know.
I prefer iced coffee to hot coffee. No sugar, I don’t like sweets very much.
Progress Notes 