Gurpreet K. Padam, M.D.
Graduated June, 2005

Please briefly describe your current scope of practice, including location:
Current location: California Scope of Practice: I am currently working as medical director for the inpatient palliative care team. I am the physician on a multidisciplinary team which is also comprised of a social worker as well as a clinical nurse specialist. The palliative care team is consulted to facilitate interventions such as address goals of care, care planning, end of life care (comfort care) and refractory pain and symptom management to name a few. I am also a part of the home based palliative care team and we are likely going to add on an ambulatory component to our comprehensive approach. I also see nursing home patients and cross cover for other SNF physicians.

Please tell us how our residency helped prepare you for your practice:
Residency, particularly inpatient work helped me build and sharpen not only my primary care skills but competency in addressing acute care needs. My residency was a comprehensive experience that allowed training and interest development including research and practice management. My preceptors and my mentors were available as well as interested in helping me achieve academic and personal growth and supported my decision to pursue the palliative medicine fellowship.

Please mention a few things about your residency experience that made it special for you:
I really enjoyed the down to earth atmosphere and receptiveness of the faculty and staff. Regardless of the work load or other usual residency stressors, residents as well as faculty looked out for each other and exhibited a genuine regard for each residents physical and mental well being. I felt supported.

Dr. William's leadership, Dr. Fiore's vision and emphasis on evidence based medicine, Dr. Johnson's passion for teaching, Dr. Spogen and Dr. Bannister's humility, Dr. Brown's attention to detail, Dr. Mcarthy's enthusiasm for embracing new residents are some of my favorite recollections of the residency experience. Karen Selbach's unwavering support and willingness to accommodate personal and family emergencies made me feel like I was at home.

Please mention something that was particularly fun during your residency:
Our weekend get togethers were fun! In fact, so much fun that even my mom under the influence of the residency director was talked into getting in the hot tub! I enjoyed practice management sessions.

Lastly, please tell us something about yourself or family or activites that you would like to share.
I have an active work and home life. Optimum work-life balance requires effort however the collective experience of residency and fellowship have prepared me with coping and problem solving skills. I was lucky that my husband was supportive during the very busy time of residency. I imagine my training would have been much more challenging without the support of department of family medicine faculty staff and my family. My two beautiful and quite wonderful children add a very different perspective to both work and home life. My very loving and creative children inspire me and continue to infuse compassion and courage in my daily life which also helps me stay focused on the bigger picture.