Q&A with Lauren Roach, DO, assistant professor, Division of Critical Care
Hometown: Edina, Minnesota
Educational/professional background: After completing my BS at the University of Minnesota, I decided to go to medical school after watching the show Scrubs. I earned my medical degree at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, New York. Because I’m a Midwest girl, I returned to the Midwest to complete residency at the University of Nebraska and a pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Iowa. I then completed a fourth-year senior fellowship in cardiac critical care at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Previous position (title, institution): Senior Fellow, Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care at Boston Children’s Hospital
What is your field of research or area of clinical care, and how did you get into it? My area of clinical care is cardiac critical care. I like that there is always something to learn — patients with the same anatomy or the same surgery are still different. My theater background makes me a collaborative person, and I like that there are multiple players thinking about each patient with whom you can discuss ideas. My research area is in medical ethics, specifically concerning provider burnout in pediatric critical care and end-of-life discussions in pediatrics. One of my best friends completed a combined medicine-pediatrics residency, and I was in awe of her ability to have those hard discussions with families when we were interns because of her internal medicine training. Most pediatric patients who die in the hospital are in an ICU, so it’s an important part of our jobs as critical care providers.
How would you describe your work to a 5-year-old? My 5-year-old niece describes my work this way: “My aunt takes care of sick kids whose hearts don’t work.”
What attracted you to UW–Madison? I’m a Midwest girl. I’ve heard only great things about Madison from everyone I know who’s lived here. Plus, I’m trying to complete my tour of the Big Ten universities.
What is your favorite thing to do in Madison? It depends on the day! Being on the lake, trying new restaurants, going to shows, reading a book, walking my dogs.
What’s one thing you hope trainees will learn from you and your work? No matter how stressful your field is, there is always the opportunity for fun and joy.
Do you feel your work relates to the Wisconsin Idea? If so, please describe how. Absolutely! I think the multidisciplinary collaboration with local providers, both in the hospital and when the patient goes home, is so important. It’s especially true since every patient and family is different and will have different needs while in the hospital and at home.
What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter during video chats and parties? The original Hippocratic Oath included a pledge to the god Apollo, in addition to a pledge to “abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm.”
What are some of your hobbies and other interests? I am an animal lover and have two dogs, so I spend a lot of time outside with them. In the summer, I’m a lake girl. I also write and perform stand-up comedy.