Alumni
Kevin Smith, MD and Deepa Ramadurai, MD
ZSOM Graduating Class Year:
2016
Tell us about yourself and where you are now:
After graduating in 2016, we completed our residencies in Denver (Kevin - pediatrics, Deepa - internal medicine), fellowships in Philadelphia (Deepa - pulmonary and critical care medicine) and Wilmington (Kevin - pediatric critical care medicine) and are now in Chicago where Deepa is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago and Kevin is enjoying his final year of training as a Clinical Informatics fellow at the University of Chicago while attending in the Pediatric ICU of Comer Children's Hospital. We have two adorable and rambunctious children - Kaiden (3) and Penelope (1) - and love exploring the parks and pizza options Chicago and the suburbs have to offer.
Fun fact about you:
We started a "Deepa and Kevin Brewery Tour" in medical school that we have dragged many classmates and friends to join over the past 12 years. We have been to 143 breweries together (our children have joined for the last 10... we really slowed down after having them but are hoping to pick up speed again soon).
What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of the Zucker School of Medicine?
There are simply too many people and memories to recount. Some of the first that come to mind are Purple Time afternoons (we think it is called Patient, Physician, and Society technically?), physical exam practice (including ultrasounding one another), Structure Thursdays, afternoon volleyball games on the old Jets practice field during first year, and coffee/snack time during clinical rotations with our core faculty in the hospital during third and fourth years.
What's the most valuable thing you learned during your time at the Zucker School of Medicine, and how has that helped you in your career?
Learning how to learn - how to think about problems, using different resources, finding innovative ways to find solutions. Skills in being adult learners have really helped us grow as people, physicians, and inspired the way we have approached our personal and career goals.
What advice would you share with current Zucker SOM students?
Immerse yourself completely in the experiences and opportunities given to you as a medical student. Focus on your personal growth just as much as your professional growth as you figure out your identity as a future physician!
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Each other, our families, and our patients!
What's the accomplishment you are most proud of since graduating from the Zucker School of Medicine?
Kevin: Personally, keeping two small humans alive.
Deepa: Learning how to take things in stride - how to learn from my mistakes and find joy in being a physician, mom, person.