Celebrating Women's History Month

Corinna J. Yu, M.D., MBA, FASA

Corinna J. Yu, M.D., MBA, FASA, board-certified anesthesiologist

“As a second-generation Asian American woman, there are many things I never thought I could do or be. I realize now that my ceiling isn’t an intersection of glass and bamboo but a drop ceiling with tiles of self-imposed and systemic barriers.”

I’m a board-certified anesthesiologist, former MOCA Minute Question Author, and newly minted ABA APPLIED Examiner. I started the first statewide women in anesthesiology conference in Indiana in 2018, and my video on breast pumping while performing CPR supported the ASA’s Statement on Lactation Among Anesthesia Clinicians. I currently work at the Indiana University Health Adult Academic Health Center.

When I started medical school if anyone had asked me, “Where do you see yourself 5, 10, or 15 years from now?” I never would have guessed my future. I planned to go into family practice and ended up in anesthesiology. I had no interest in business and wound up getting my MBA. I didn’t care for politics but brought my 10-week-old to the statehouse during maternity leave to advocate for patient safety.
As a second-generation Asian American woman, there are many things I never thought I could do or be. I realize now that my ceiling isn’t an intersection of glass and bamboo but a drop ceiling with tiles of self-imposed and systemic barriers. Through the help of sponsors and mentors, I have been determined to push up my ceiling tiles, expose the view, and work toward remodeling the environment for myself and those around me.

I value board certification because it is the highest achievement and stamp of approval from national leaders in our field. It offers patients (including myself!) the reassurance of the highest standards in education, training and patient care in anesthesiology.

Anesthesiology is the perfect combination of generalist and specialist. We take care of all patients with all medical conditions yet focus on individualized anesthetic plans for patient management during specific procedures. We balance the scales of surgeons and enable them to cut, bleed, and heal the injured as we maintain homeostasis.

One of the greatest joys as an anesthesiologist is to provide reassurance during stressful life events, whether it’s delivering a baby, having a surgery, or doing both at the same time! I love being organized, detail-oriented, prepared and watching the immediate impact of our hands-on interventions to stabilize patients in crisis.

Meera Kirpekar, M.D.

Meera Kirpekar, M.D., board-certified anesthesiologist

“Throughout residency and fellowship, I knew I wanted to do something more women-centric. As a pain physician, my focus became pelvic pain, a very understudied area of medicine.”

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain physician with an additional certification in lifestyle medicine. I currently work at NYU Langone Hospital.

What would you like to share about your personal journey and experience?

As my dad was a captain in the merchant navy, I grew up sailing around the world on massive cargo liners. I joked that my mom “ship-schooled” me for a part of my life. On the other part, I grew up in India until the age of nine, when I immigrated to the United States with my parents. Because I grew up with such eclectic experiences, I had many interests that I pursued before realizing that medicine was my calling.

I’m the first doctor in my family. In medical school, I realized I wanted to become an anesthesiologist during a particularly difficult case with a laboring woman. The anesthesiologist took control of a challenging situation and kept the patient and the rest of the OR calm. I decided I wanted to learn to be that person, to be able to help patients in their most critical and vulnerable times.

After residency, I pursued pain medicine because I missed that interaction with patients and that follow-up to know my treatments were helping. Throughout residency and fellowship, I knew I wanted to do something more women-centric. As a pain physician, my focus became pelvic pain, a very understudied area of medicine. It brought back for me the need to help patients during a time when they feel vulnerable or, in this case, even stigmatized. With Alopi Patel, M.D., we created The Female Pain Docs to spread awareness on topics of anesthesiology, pain medicine, and lifestyle medicine—in particular, topics that may have misconceptions or stigmas attached to them. Anesthesiology and pain medicine create fulfilling careers and emphasize why we all chose to go into the field of medicine in the first place.

Why do you value board certification?

Board certification is an important tool to solidify the foundation of knowledge and expertise that a physician has spent years gaining. It also establishes trust between patient and doctor as it signifies that a physician meets nationally recognized standards for both education and skills. Once you are board certified, you also have to maintain your board certification, which further maintains that a physician is up to date on the latest developments.

Alopi Patel, M.D.

Alopi Patel, M.D., board-certified anesthesiologist

“Many of our women pelvic pain patients do not have women physicians to consult with when experiencing intimate and stigmatized pain conditions… I feel privileged to be able to help patients understand their pain syndrome and put the pieces together to improve their functionality and quality of life.”

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a chronic pain physician with a clinical focus in pelvic pain and women’s health. As an anesthesiology resident, I chose to specialize in chronic pain due to the continuity of care with patients and being able to see a person progress successfully through interventions. Through my fellowship year and as an early career physician, I recognized the lack of understanding and treatment options available for pelvic pain for both male and female pelvic pain patients. I chose to further dedicate my time to treating and advocating for this patient population.

I currently work at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/RWJBarnabas Health System. I am double board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine with a certification in lifestyle medicine from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

What would you like to share about your personal journey and experience?

As a woman, I am a minority in the pain medicine field. Many of our women pelvic pain patients do not have women physicians to consult with when experiencing intimate and stigmatized pain conditions. To further advocate for my women and pelvic pain patients, I created a social media platform and podcast called The Female Pain Docs with my colleague, Meera Kirpekar. This journey has led to a fulfilling career trajectory of advocating for patients via research, collaboration, social media, podcasting and more. I feel privileged to be able to help patients understand their pain syndrome and put the pieces together to improve their functionality and quality of life.

Why do you value board certification?

I value board certification as it demonstrates expertise in the specialty by meeting rigorous educational, professional and practice requirements.

Why did you choose to pursue anesthesiology?

I pursued anesthesiology due to the depth of knowledge and skill needed in a fast-paced environment. I also value the interpersonal skills required to collaborate with several specialties all across medicine, from surgery to medicine to obstetrics and more.

12/20/23 Photo by John O’Boyle