April 19, 2017 | Srinath Adusumalli, MD
Career Development

Each month, the Fellows in Training (FIT) Section newsletter, ACC On-Call, will highlight the achievements of one cardiology FIT. The Section would like to recognize Srinath (Sri) Adusumalli, MD, chief fellow at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, as the 'star FIT' for the month of April. Sri describes his research interests, hobbies, career goals and involvement with the ACC in a short interview below.

What are your plans after cardiology fellowship?
For the next year, I will be on a training grant from the National Institutes of Health completing a master's degree in health policy research, as well as a fellowship in health care improvement and patient safety. In July 2018, I plan to start an advanced heart failure (HF)/transplant fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Ultimately, I am planning to pursue a career in academic HF/transplant cardiology with a focus in health policy research, quality improvement and medical education.

What are your research interests?
Broadly, I am interested in outcomes research within the field of HF. More specifically, I am interested in studying implementation science/behavioral economics techniques as avenues to translate evidence-based medicine into clinical practice. Finally, I have enjoyed designing and conducting several trials of clinical applications of novel wearable devices and sensors.

What are your hobbies outside of cardiology?
I enjoy traveling, writing, watching movies, listening to new music and acquiring the latest Apple products. I am also a politics/news junkie.

How do you approach work-life balance?
Given the all-encompassing nature of our clinical and research work, I think it is essential to actively develop the skill of work-life balance on a daily basis. Although I haven't mastered this, my wife, Priyanka, as well as my other family members and friends, continue to inspire me via example to live a more balanced life. One of the keys to beginning to achieve this goal has been to maximize productivity/focus (using methods such as the "Pomodoro Technique"), while at work as a path to maximizing leisure time while at home.

Do you have any mentors that you would like to recognize?
I have been lucky to have excellent clinical and research mentorship while at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I would first like to recognize the mentor who initially encouraged me to become involved with the College – Victor Ferrari, MD, FACC, immediate past governor of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the ACC. Additionally, my fellowship program director, Frank Silvestry, MD, FACC; clinic mentor Neel Chokshi, MD, MBA; and research mentors Peter W. Groeneveld, MD, MS; Jay Giri, MD, MPH; and Jennifer Myers, MD, have been invaluable sources of advice and inspiration as I have continued to develop my career.

How did you first become involved with the ACC?
I first became involved with the ACC when I was a member of the FIT Jeopardy team that represented ACC's Pennsylvania Chapter at ACC.16. Although I didn't know it when I joined the team, my participation in FIT Jeopardy served as the springboard for continued and fruitful engagement in other College activities.

What other ACC activities are you involved in?
In addition to participating in FIT Jeopardy, I am also one of the FIT representatives to ACC's Pennsylvania Chapter Executive Council. On a national level, I am the FIT representative to the Informatics and Health Information Technology Taskforce and serve as a member of the Pulse Check advisory group to the ACC.org Editorial Board. Finally, I had the good fortune earlier this year to be selected for the second cohort of FITs enrolled in the College's Teaching Tomorrow's Teachers clinician-educator program.

What advice do you have for other FIT members?
I think the role of professional societies is underappreciated as an integral part of FIT career development. This is especially applicable to the ACC, which offers an ever-increasing number of robust avenues to become involved in meaningful activities at the state and national levels. FITs should take advantage of these opportunities as they are unparalleled in their breadth, depth and ability to enhance the clinical, research and networking aspects of our careers. Start small – pick one committee/activity that you are passionate about and grow your involvement from there – it will be well worth the effort!