Katiana Garagozlo M.D. is a PGY-6 fellow in our Pediatric Pulmonology Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Garagozolo completed her residency at Broward Health Medical Center/Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital and medical school at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine.
Hi Dr. Garagozlo, will you share with us what life looks like for a third-year Pediatric Pulmonology fellow?
As a third-year fellow, our clinical responsibilities are reduced compared to that of the first-year fellow. Our time is spent focusing on completion of research projects and other scholarly work. We also act in the role of chief fellow, which includes administrative responsibilities such as creating the fellow on-call schedules, as well as assisting the program director in creating the didactic schedules.
What made you pursue a fellowship at Weill Cornell Medicine?
Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) is a very prestigious institution, which has a reputation for strong clinical training and provides many opportunities for professional advancement. However, what really sealed the deal for me was the division faculty. The level of mentorship at WCM is unmatched, which I think isn’t always possible when joining larger programs. Our attendings are incredibly invested in cultivating the professional growth and development of their fellows. They are the most supportive, fun, and brilliant individuals that I have had the honor of working with.
What do you enjoy most about your fellowship program?
WCM’s pediatric pulmonology fellowship provides a diverse range of clinical pathology and fosters the pursuit of academic research. The strengths of this program lie not only in itself but also in its partnerships with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). My co-fellows and I have the unique opportunity to consult on very complex and rare pulmonary manifestations of rheumatologic disease and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Our division has built a strong collaboration with MSKCC and HSS, which provides a remarkable learning and research opportunity for our fellowship and faculty.
What I enjoy most about my fellowship program is my relationship with my attendings and co-fellows. As someone who moved out of my home state of Florida to pursue a fellowship, my division became my support system. We spend time together in and out of work celebrating everyone’s life events, and we are all very supportive of each other.
What inspired you to choose peds pulmonology?
Pediatric pulmonology is cool! Pulmonary pathophysiology is amazing. I love the diversity of patients within pediatric pulmonology. From tiny premature babies to teenagers with asthma, we care for patients across a wide spectrum of ages and conditions. We are proceduralists and perform bronchoscopies in various clinical settings, and we have the opportunity to collaborate with many other procedural specialists such as ENT, GI, and surgery. Our specialty has a great balance of inpatient and outpatient care, which allows one to build close relationships with patients and their families.
Tell us a little about your clinical interests and career goals.
My research and clinical interests are in interstitial and diffuse lung disease, particularly the pulmonary complications in pediatric oncology/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and rheumatologic disease. My career goals are to become a strong clinician, to become a competent proceduralist, and to teach future generations of pediatricians. I hope to inspire trainees to pursue a career in pediatric pulmonology because it really is an incredible and fun sub-specialty. Lastly, I hope to increase awareness of pediatric interstitial lung disease and continue to advocate for my patients.
Do you have any advice for those thinking about pursuing a fellowship in pediatrics at WCM?
Think about personal and professional goals regarding fellowship training. Once you have established what is important to you, I would say reach out to our program to ask questions and see if your goals align with those of the pediatric fellowship programs at WCM. It is crucial to ensure that your future fellowship program is a good fit professionally and personally. Fellowship is hard work, but it can be a really enjoyable experience when you find a program that is right for you.
Visit the Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship program website to learn more.