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Behind the White Coat Allison Zarbo, M.D., is a PGY4 in Dermatology, and a recent winner of the Outstanding Resident Awards. Here she tells eRounds why she chose medicine over a career in art history, how she went above and beyond for her peers as Chair of House Staff Council and her philosophy to providing the very best care.
When I was in college, I majored in History of Art with a minor in Biochemistry. I was torn between pursuing a Ph.D. in History of Art versus dedicating my life to medicine. In my senior year of college, I was in a graduate level Biochemistry class. Our exams were strategically placed the Monday after our home football games at University of Michigan (where football is a culture, not a game). In order to pass, I studied in the library on Saturdays while all my friends were at every home game. One such Saturday, during the Ohio State versus Michigan game, people were even partying in the library. My phone was ringing every 30 minutes with friends calling to ask why I was not at the game. I ended up going back to my parents' house to get some peace and quiet to study for my final Biochemistry exam, and I remember being frustrated that I was not able to enjoy the prototypical college experience that all my friends were enjoying. My father sat me down and told me that this would be the rest of my life if I went into medicine - I would always miss out on something because of medicine, whether it be weddings, vacations, reunions, or regular get togethers with friends. And if I wanted to go into medicine, I would have to dedicate my time to this calling rather than be upset about missing out. This conversation made me truly look inwards and examine my future - did I really want to be a doctor? We all know the answer to this - I did. And this was when I told myself that my sacrifices would be worth it. And I was right. I am glad that I pursued medicine, because I do not think I would be able to derive this much personal satisfaction from helping others from any other career. What inspired you to go into Dermatology specifically? When I entered medical school, I had my mind set on either Pathology or Plastic Surgery. My major in History of Art was four years of training in pattern recognition, which I thought would serve me well in the field of Pathology. But I am also dexterous and enjoy procedures - thus, I thought of Plastic Surgery. Dermatology was not on my radar until my father and husband (also a Pathologist) recommended that I consider it, as it would meld my interests of both Pathology and Plastic Surgery. I pursued research with the Henry Ford Department of Dermatology during my summer between the first and second year of medical school, and became interested in complex medical dermatology and autoimmune diseases with cutaneous manifestations. It was not until my Dermatology residency that I became interested in Pediatric Dermatology, which offers the study of not only complex medical dermatology and autoimmune diseases but also the field of genodermatoses, where one gene mutation leads to a variety of cutaneous manifestations. What has been the proudest moment of your residency at Henry Ford Health System so far? I have had the honor of serving on House Staff Council for the full four years of my residency. First I was the Transitional Year Representative, then Vice Chair, and I concluded my tenure with two years as Chair of the House Staff Council. Representing over 600 of my colleagues was challenging, but most importantly, enlightening. I was exposed to challenges that my peers faced within different subspecialties for a variety of different reasons - whether it be unique to their subspecialty, or concerns that had been voiced by peers across many fields. We acted on concerns from the House Officers and helped facilitate the cell phones for all house officers, obtained "meal money" for all residents at Henry Ford, and brought to the GME the desire for surge pay compensation for residents in high-risk fields who were exposed to COVID-19 when the pandemic hit Detroit. But I think I have been most proud of how House Staff Council rallied to hold meetings on a more frequent basis and address the concerns of our co-residents during the coronavirus pandemic. Sometimes it's important to go above and beyond the job description. How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed your residency experience? Everyone has felt the touch of coronavirus, no matter what level of training they are in. I am incredibly impressed by my colleagues who were deployed from the Dermatology department to work in the Emergency Department during the coronavirus pandemic. I am proud of my department for supporting our colleagues in the ED, while maintaining a bare minimum of operations to stabilize our dermatology patients who would otherwise present to the ED. Our department quickly stopped normal operations to preserve PPE and minimize transmission of the virus, which led to decreased patient interactions and procedures. However, we quickly ramped up our video visits which I did not have previous exposure to prior to the coronavirus pandemic. How did it feel to receive the Outstanding Resident Award? I was honored to be nominated for the Outstanding Resident Award. All the nominees were highly qualified, so I was very surprised to win. I could not have accomplished my research, book chapters, and the progress we made in House Staff Council while I was Chair for the past two years without the support of my colleagues and mentors. You’re completing your residency soon. What’s next? I am looking forward to starting my 1-year fellowship in Pediatric Dermatology in July at Henry Ford, with my mentors Dr. Shwayder and Dr. Jahnke. I plan to stay in an academic setting long-term. Do you have a personal philosophy when it comes to medicine? Always do the right thing for the patient. If you keep this in mind, you can never go wrong. What I have learned throughout residency is that different patients may need different levels of assistance from their physician despite having the same diagnosis. Being able to recognize this and then acting on it strengthens your relationship with the patient and ensures the best care possible. |
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Why did you decide to become a physician? My father is a pathologist at Henry Ford Hospital, and because of his influence I remember wanting to be a physician from the time I was a child. I used to play with his stethoscope and examine our dog on a regular basis. When I was older, my dad would show me kodachromes of pathology slides and explained the basics of histology to me. I used to shadow him at work and had fun watching the slides being made, and looking at them under the microscope. It did take me a few years to figure out how to look into the microscope without my eyelashes getting in the way! These experiences in my childhood made me interested in medicine.