ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Christine Shen ’17
Christine Shen ’17
Interventional Cardiology
La Jolla, California
I always wanted to save lives. I enjoy working on the heart, making people feel better quickly, or reassuring them that their coronary arteries are fine. I enjoy the environment of the cath lab, using my hands, and figuring out how to move my fingers to obtain the result I want on fluoroscopy.
WHAT ARE YOU KNOWN FOR AMONG FRIENDS?
I am known for home organization, tying the perfect bow, and sending greeting cards!
WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEDICAL SCHOOL MEMORY?
I loved spending time with my evidence-based medicine (EBM) classmates in Group 11! After initial official EBM meetings for schoolwork, we became good friends. Today, we are in all different specialties across the country, but we still have a text thread and enjoy reaching out to one another to commiserate, laugh, and congratulate one another in life.
LOOKING BACK AT YOUR CAREER, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR STUDENTS AND YOUNG PHYSICIANS?
Different periods during medical training are easier or harder for different people and in different ways. The environment, type of hospital, and program all play a role in the type of struggles you will have. It can take a while to recognize how you are doing and why. My challenges are different from my co-fellows, but I utilize my strengths and persist in the areas I am weak.
IF YOU WERE TO HAVE WORKED IN A FIELD OUTSIDE OF MEDICINE, WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN?
I would have been an elementary school teacher! I find a lot of meaning in caring for and teaching young children.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU ON ROUGH DAYS?
All along the way, there were people who helped me at different moments. I can see God working through each step. Even though I may not understand how the current period in training fits in the greater picture, I know God has been planning it all along.
Published in the Summer 2024 ALUMNI JOURNAL.
