As a surgeon, prioritizing wellness is critical to preventing burnout and relieving stress! The Wellness Committee has launched this project to highlight how ASTS members focus on self-care!
 

Malay Shah, MD

Surgical Director, Liver Transplant Program, University of Kentucky

What media are you consuming?

Watching Seinfeld re-runs and going down Wikipedia rabbit holes on random topics. I have a particular interest in World War II history.

What are you passionate about other than transplant?

My wife and two children will always be the first and foremost focus of my life outside of work. However, I have lost both of my parents in the last 3 years. In the last several months, I have been on a quest of personal and family discovery. I have been focused on identifying my family tree, much of which is difficult to research considering my family is from India. Much of the family history is not contained in formal written documentation. Having said that, there have been many aspects of my ancestors that has come to light and has been fascinating to discover. The endless search of self-discovery continues.

How does this activity help you achieve balance and help prevent burnout?

Researching my family origins and family tree has allowed me to re-connect with family members in India. Family members that I had previously lost contact with for a variety of reasons. As someone who has always valued knowing where I have come from, researching and discovering many forgotten aspects of my family lineage has given me a new purpose in life, which in turn, I will pass down to my children.

How does your passion help you improve your professional abilities?

Rather than being irritated with the challenges of work and medicine, my interests outside of work have allowed me to better realize that there are more meaningful aspects to life than simply work. Having activities outside of work have allowed me to not continuously think about work when I get home. This in turns allows me to be a better physician/surgeon when I come to work.

What do you do to decompress after a busy week at work?

Hang out on the covered patio, drink bourbon and watch TV. Going to Home Depot or Ace Hardware to get things for home improvement projects.

What is your advice for people considering transplant? 

Be prepared to work hard. Be prepared to work long hours. Be prepared for stress that you have not encountered to this degree at anyparticular stage of life. Be prepared for the lows of unexpected poor patient outcomes. Having said that, be prepared for the immense gratitude and happiness of saving lives and literally giving patients a second chance at living. The friendships that may come with some patients and their families. The gravity of honoring donors and their families by giving the gift of life.

Also, be passionate about patient care, donation and transplantation. Don’t accept the status quo. If something doesn’t seem right… go with your gut instinct. Don’t let fancy statistical analyses in papers detract from common sense. Don’t let people stand in your way to tell you that you are incorrect. Make sure your voice is heard. There are many ways your voice can be heard, including outside of the traditional medical and surgical societies. Very simply, don’t let people tell you how you should think. No one knows your patient’s needs better than you, nor will anyone else advocate for your patient’s better than you.

Follow Dr. Shah on social media!

@doc_transplant on Instagram

@txpdoc on X

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