Ayala, Alyssa, N

I like to meet patients where they are in terms of their understanding. Some people have read a lot about their condition, and others haven’t, so I start with what they know and build from there. I give them a bird’s eye view of what their care will look like. I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback about the way I listen to patients and answer their questions completely. I take pride in being available and informative, and in making people feel comfortable. I’ve always liked science and knowing how things worked. When I started medical school, I was not planning on going into surgery, but when I did my surgery rotation, I loved it. There is nothing like the operating room. As a surgeon, I still care for the whole patient, but I also have patients who come in with an acute problem that I can fix. Not all medicine is like that. A successful outcome is when the patient and I both feel good about the end result and, if there is an acute problem, that it’s been improved to the extent that medicine can offer. It’s very satisfying seeing people feeling better and doing better and getting on with their lives after I’ve taken care of them.