Hooked on Cardiology with Ty J. Gluckman, MD, FACC, FAHA
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The most direct path between two points is a straight line, but such was not the case for my journey into cardiology. In fact, I was fairly convinced for most of my time in medical school that I was going to be a neurosurgeon. During my clinical rotations in my third year, however, I fell in love with internal medicine and the diagnostic skills required.
Thereafter, I was fairly certain I was going into pulmonary/critical care. At the 11th hour (and just prior to the match), however, I had the opportunity to work with Robert O. Bonow, MD, at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and fell in love with CV medicine. I was drawn to the robust clinical trial data that inform the field, the amazing technological advances that have transformed patient care and the varied areas of subspecialization that one can pursue.
I matched at Johns Hopkins Hospital for my cardiology fellowship, where I was fortunate to have some influential mentors, like Roger S. Blumenthal, MD, Steven P. Schulman, MD, and Roy Ziegelstein, MD. Each of them encouraged me to ask questions, challenge myself and strive to maintain a good work-life balance. Most importantly, they instilled in me a passion for continuous learning in medicine and beyond.
I left Johns Hopkins in 2006 and have worked within the Providence St. Joseph Health system since. While fully intent on being a busy cardiologist, I began to take advantage of opportunities that came my way — tackling variation in outcomes, implementing new care delivery models, assisting in the design and implementation of our electronic health record and developing strategies to improve clinical documentation. It’s important to keep an open mind and take opportunities as they come, because you never know what you may fall in love with during your career. Who knows, it may lead you to an altogether different place.
Ty J. Gluckman, MD, FACC, FAHA
Cardiology Today Next Gen Innovator
Medical Director
Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research and Data Science (CARDS)
Providence Heart Institute
Providence St. Joseph Health
Portland, Oregon