In this episode, Dr Rui Ariyapala welcomes back Dr. Michael Baca-Atlas for another conversation. Dr. Baca-Atlas is originally from Baltimore, MD. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Maryland, College Park and medical school at University of Maryland in Baltimore. He completed his Family Medicine residency at UNC and an Addiction Medicine fellowship at UNC in the Department of Psychiatry. He serves as the Medical Director for UNC REACH Enhanced Primary Care and Associate Medical Director for the Tobacco Treatment Program. Dr. Baca-Atlas has a special interest in the intersection of physical and mental health and addiction. He also serves as a contributor for Primary Care RAP (Reviews and Perspectives), a medical education podcast.
For this third part, we discuss the subtle transitions from senior resident to fellowship and general career advice at this stage. Dr. Baca-Atlas then talks about the intricacies of being a newly minted attending, the news levels of responsibility tied to this level of care, and how to sustain a meaningful professional career once you have ‘made it’.
Be sure to check out part 1 (episode 65) which introduces Dr. Baca-Atlas' broader background and part 2 (episode 78) which focuses more on residency advice with respect to wellness.