Spotlight on Elizabeth S. Kaufman, MD, FACC by Meera Kondapaneni, MD, FACC
MK: What was your inspiration to pursue Cardiology and then Electrophysiology as a subspecialty? EK: I liked cardiology because the patients had interesting problems yet could usually expect to live high-quality lives. You get to have a long-term relationship with your cardiology patients. I liked electrophysiology because I like puzzles. Figuring out arrhythmias and pacemaker behavior is like solving puzzles. MK: Did you have a mentor that influenced your decision to pursue cardiology? EK: I can’t say that I had a particular mentor who influenced my decision. But once I became involved in my cardiology fellowship, the electrophysiologists inspired me most. They enjoyed sitting in a room together and pondering interesting electrocardiograms and electrograms. MK: What do you enjoy most about your career in cardiology? EK: I enjoy the people: my co-workers and my patients. I like the variety of my life: some outpatient clinic, some inpatient consults, some procedures, teaching, research, and other academic work. MK: Knowing what you do now and based on your experiences, would you do anything differently along your career path? EK: If I were going into cardiology now, I would consider a dedicated research fellowship in addition to my clinical training. These days, if you want to be able to compete successfully for grant support, you ought to have a unique skill set. MK: Did you have any hesitancy in pursuing cardiology as a specialty and if so, how did you manage or overcome this? EK: I did not hesitate to pursue cardiology—it interested me most. MK: What advice would you give for women considering a career in cardiology? EK: Go for it! And don’t put your personal life on hold. Training takes a lifetime, so if you want to have children, do it at the time of life that is right for you. Splurge on high quality child care, house cleaning, anything else that you can afford that will allow you to optimize your family time and your work time.