2023 - 2024 Critical Care Committee Leader Spotlight

2.png

Brian Sumner, MD, Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

brian_sumner.jpgProgram:Critical Care Fellow - Mount Sinai Health System

Your goal as an EMRA leader: Utilizing the strong foundation of the critical care committee to motivate and empower new leaders who will expand the emergency medicine footprint within critical care medicine

What is the best advice you've ever received? Use adversity as an opportunity. Embrace your reality.

What is something people don't know about you? I was once in shape and ran the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia

If I weren't an emergency physician, I would be: Owner of a bagel shop

Dustin Slagle, MD, Chair-Elect of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Dustin Slagle.jpgProgram: ChristianaCare

Your goal as an EMRA leader: Spread awareness about EM doctors in critical care so residents can consider it as a career option, to learn as much as I can, and contribute to the EM critical care education literature.

Why did you get involved in a professional society? I have a passion for medical education and EMRA is a great platform to develop this passion.

What is the best advice you've ever received? Maybe a bit cliche, but I also find it to be true, “showing up is half the battle”.

If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be? A sommelier—love me some wine

Favorite life hack for night shifts: 2 hour pre-nap before the first shift in a string and lots of Redbull

What is the last non-textbook you read? Name of the Wind—great fantasy book in a incomplete trilogy (the author will probably never finish it either so beware)
 
Favorite channel on social media? Non-medical: Rose Anvil—basically ASMR but he just cuts boots in half and talks about the construction. Don’t know why I like it so much but it’s great.

Kunj Bhatt, MD, Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Kunj Bhatt.pngProgram: Mount Sinai Hospital

Your goal as an EMRA leader: My goal as EMRA leader is to increase the accessibility of critical care educational resources and work as a mentor/leader to those who are considering a career in critical care

Why did you get involved in a professional society? To work with the future leaders of Emergency Medicine and to create a network of like-minded individuals who share a strong interest in advancing critical care knowledge.
 
What is something that people don't know about you? I was on an intercollegiate competitive dance team for all four years of college


If I weren't an emergency physician, I would be: GM of a basketball team


What's the last non-textbook you read? Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

Christian Kasianko, MD, Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Christian Kasianko.jpegProgram:  ChristianaCare

Your goal as an EMRA leader: Building an environment of camaraderie not just with my team, but among the specialty - I want to be a part of a flow of ideas that allow us to continue improving the education, wellness, and future of Emergency Medicine.

Why did you get involved in a professional society? The best way to grow as a person is to experience being around people that bring different backgrounds, ideas, experiences and my goal was to not just have a diverse team, but to be a part of actively engaging others all across EM - in search of improving myself and helping bring change where I can.
 
What is the best advice you have ever received? "Don't ever act like you're better than someone, but don't ever act like someone's better than you" - its funny, but my brother told me that once in high school and it sticks in my head. Try to stay humble, but confident.
 
What is something that people don't know about you? Rom-coms are my jam.
 
If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be? Lawyer. I figure if I'm going to get paid to do what I'm good at, it should be talking... alot

Favorite life hack for night shifts: Celsius + a portable speaker of 80s rock.

Christine Yang, MD, Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Christine Yang.jpgProgram: Louisiana State University Baton Rouge

Your goal as an EMRA leader: My goal is to empower all EM residents to practice their best, evidence based critical care downstairs in the ED before their patients reaches upstairs in the ICU. I want to help make educational content that is easily readable and accessible as a reference to anyone beginning their ICU rotation.

Why did you get involved in a professional society? I want to be apart of a movement of bettering ourselves as EM physicians through sharing information and learning from one another. Critical care is one of the coolest things we do in emergency medicine, and I want to get everyone excited about the field.

Top 3 traits of a great leader: Humility, confidence, and a good work ethic

What is the best advice you have ever received? Slow is fast, fast is slow. When I'm pressed to juggle a million tasks on a shift, I remember that taking the time to do a good job on each task on hand saves more time than doing a rushed job and making up for it.
 
What is something that people don't know about you? I made an appearance in an Auntie Anne's Pretzel commercial during medical school

If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be? Working at Costco

Alexandra Hallagan, MD, Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Alexandra Hallagan.jpgProgram: Maricopa County/Creighton University Emergency Medicine

What is your goal as an EMRA leader? Work to even further establish the sub-speciality of critical care as a fundamental pillar of our field. Ensure every emergency medicine resident feels well equipped and prepared as a resuscitationist. Expand resources and smooth the path for those looking to pursue critical care fellowship
 
Why did you get involved in a professional society? To have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals all over the country with similar passions and goals.
 
What is the best advice you have ever received? Be a humble learner. No matter how far you get in your career, you always have something to learn from every interaction. Never let your ego get in the way of the opportunity to learn from your colleagues and patients.
 
What is something that people don't know about you? I have a pet snake named Steve.
 
If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be? I'd open a brewery or a cat cafe. Somewhere I could make high quality coffee or beer and hangout with cats all day.
 
What's on your playlist? ODESZA, Flume, Louis the Child, Glass Animals, Quinn XCII, Rufus Du Sol, Mac Miller

Gabriel Colon, MD, Asst. Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Gabriel Colon.jpgProgram: Mount Sinai Morningside/West

Your goal as an EMRA leader: To contribute to the Critical Care community!

What is the best advice you have ever received? Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are.

What's the last non-textbook you read? Target Acquired by Tom Clancy

Brendan Innes, MD, Asst. Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

brendanInnes.jpgProgram: Brown Emergency Medicine

Your goal as an EMRA leader: I want to help us take outstanding care of critically ill patients in the emergency department through the creation of high quality educational materials. I aim to empower medical students and residents to pursue a career in critical care through community engagement and mentorship.

Why did you get involved in a professional society? To collaborate with people with similar interests and goals that come from different backgrounds and parts of the country.
 
What is something that people don't know about you? My first two jobs were washing dishes at a nursing home, and building above ground pools. Things have improved!

Favorite life hack for night shifts: Early shift caffeine, mid shift snack, music on during the entire shift. Go home to sleep in a cold, dark, and quiet room. Try to do something normal that day and catch a glimpse of the sun. Celebrate the end of a stretch with a post-shift breakfast with the team.

Favorite channel on social media? Jerry of the Day

Alex Lucas, MD, Asst. Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Alex Lucas.jpgProgram: Advocate Christ Medical Center

Your goal as an EMRA leader: I hope to continue putting out critical care FOAMed, dive into crit care technology, and help promote critical care as a fellowship and career. I also hope to improve my own critical care knowledge and share this with fellow residents and medical students along the way.

Why did you get involved in a professional society? I originally got involved with this professional society to grow my knowledge of the field as a medical student. EMRA has been an amazing society to learn from, network in, and to discuss medical topics with like minded EM people.

Top 3 traits of a great leader:
1. Driven 2. Inspirational 3. Good communication skills

What is the best advice you've ever received? Always dream big.

What is something that people don't know about you? I have managed to keep the same wallet for 15+ years.
 
If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be? Realistically probably a chemical engineer since that was my previous career. Fictitiously a professional golfer.

 

Erin Bell, MD, Assistant Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

bell-erin.jpgProgram: University of Virginia Health

Your goal as an EMRA leader: To help connect interested students, current residents, and faculty members who are interested in Critical Care.

Top 3 traits of a great leader:
1. Communication
2. Humility
3. Confidence

Favorite life hack for night shifts: That midnight coffee is necessary! La Colombe canned lattes hit the spot.

What's on your playlist? Anything from the 90s or Classic Rock

Evan McMurray, MD, Asst. Vice Chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2023-2024

Evan McCurray.jpgProgram: Mount Sinai Morningside-West

Your goal as an EMRA leader: To make critical care topics accessible for EM residents and to provide resources and mentorship for those interested in pursuing this path for fellowship

Top 3 traits of a great leader:
1. Hard-work
2. Integrity
3. Humility

What is the best advice you've ever received? The journey is the destination

What is something that people don't know about you? I spent eight months living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam before starting med school.
 
If you weren't an emergency physician, what would you be? Field biologist
 
What is your favorite hack for night shifts? For shifting back to days, skip caffeine after the last night shift and sleep half as much as usual so that you can fall asleep at a regular time that evening.
Critical Care Committee EMRA Spotlight

Related Content

Feb 24, 2020

Meet Ally Hynes, MD

We're pleased to introduce Ally Hynes, MD, vice chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2020-2021.

Feb 24, 2020

Meet Mina Ghobrial, MD

We're pleased to introduce Mina Ghobrial, MD, chair-elect of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2020-2021.

Feb 24, 2020

Meet Mark Ramzy, DO, EMT-P

We're pleased to introduce Mark Ramzy, DO, EMT-P, chair of the EMRA Critical Care Committee, 2020-2021.