Ann Trawick, DO
Assistant Professor of Primary Care, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Can you share the career path that led you to your current academic role?
I am the Course Director for Principles of Clinical Medicine Course for the first-year students. My background is in private practice family medicine in Aurora, Colorado. A former colleague that worked in our practice started teaching at Rocky Vista. She had been working there for a couple of years and one day approached me about helping out with a first-year lab, because one of their regular lab preceptors was going to miss a few labs. I agreed to come help but felt some apprehension, since I did not have any background in teaching first- and second-year students. I filled in for a couple labs, then they asked me to fill in for a couple of the labs for the second-year students. By the end of the semester, they asked me to be a regular lab preceptor on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. I thoroughly fell in love with teaching. After three years as an adjunct professor, there was an opportunity for a full-time position at the school. Our practice was in limbo with some changes coming up regarding new ownership, etc., and the timing ended up being perfect for making this transition.
What does a typical day look like for you in academic medicine?
No day is exactly the same. We have lab on Monday afternoons, Tuesday mornings we have our department meetings. Wednesday afternoons are the first-year labs. I have been course director now for three years, so I am responsible for getting the lab set up, sending any information or teaching materials to the faculty members beforehand. I make sure any media presentations will function on the computer equipment. I coordinate with my Utah campus counterpart to make sure everything is ready for lab on that campus. Other times are spent in committee meetings, preparing for student interviews, working on research projects, grading notes, designing Standardized Patient cases, putting together exam questions for the midterm and final exams, and reviewing videos from our Standardized Patient examinations. My favorite part of the job is meeting with students--this can be for a variety of reasons, like mentoring, working through SP failures, and so on.
Do you still maintain a clinical practice? If so, how do you balance it with your academic responsibilities? If not, what led to your decision to stop seeing patients?
I no longer see private patients, but we turned my old clinic into the continuity of care clinic for the HealthOne Family Medicine Residency program. I spend one day per week supervising medical students, interns. and residents. This is on top of my regular job expectations, so I often have to do some work at home in the evenings or weekends to make sure that everything is done for my course or for the clinic.
What are some challenges you face balancing academic responsibilities with patient care?
Certain weeks are heavier loads depending on labs and Standardized Patient note grading. Sometimes extra time has to be spent at home to get these tasks done in a timely manner. Realizing that the busyness of this schedule will vary depending on the time of year just helps to keep perspective overall.
How has your practice changed since you started working in an academic setting?
As I noted, I am no longer seeing private patients, but many of my patients still come to the residency clinic, so it is fun to catch up with them. Some of them know that I am there on Thursdays, so they will specifically schedule their appointments on those days. I struggled a lot when I made the decision to change into academic medicine. My best friend, who I lost to breast cancer, was a big impetus for my change. She told me that I had spent years working with patients and now was my chance to have an even wider impact on patient care by training students who would eventually be out in the world practicing medicine. I was at a burnt-out place mainly because of the documentation/charting aspect of private practice, but also because of losing my friend. I also felt guilty for leaving practice after 25 years. I did seek help from a counselor during this transition time, which was very helpful.
How do you manage your time between research, teaching, and seeing patients?
I think setting a realistic schedule and managing a calendar are key. If you love what you do, it does not feel like work. Sometimes my work outside the office or the clinic feels burdensome, but most of the time I enjoy what I do, so working outside of normal hours is not a problem. My four children are all grown and mostly out of the house, so this creates an easier scenario for me. When the kids were young, this was a challenge and I often felt overwhelmed.
What do you think are the biggest rewards of working in academic medicine?
I love watching students grow during their four years of school. Sometimes, if the students end up in our residency program, I get to work with them for seven years. Medical students are highly motivated and eager learners and are so fun to teach!
How has working in an academic environment influenced your professional growth?
I have had to learn a whole new skill set. Designing and giving lectures was not something that I ever did while in private practice. Committee work and being involved in state and national politics has been a new opportunity. Managing a course and being responsible for the design and implementation is also new for me. And I never had training or experience with research.
Do you find that students and residents impact the way you practice medicine? If so, how?
Working with students and residents requires one to continue to read and keep up with new technology and new research. Residents often know more than I in certain areas, so that is humbling.
What advice would you give to medical students considering a career in academic medicine?
I think it is important to give back. Teaching is a great way to do that. Gaining experience in clinical medicine is very important so that you have the skills you need to teach. Starting out slowly in a part-time position was a great way for me to get introduced into the world of teaching.
