Dr. Grace Banik

SY: How did you choose medicine and then ENT?

GB: I loved science my entire life, and medicine seemed like a natural fit in college. After graduating, I had a not quite midlife life crisis because I was not ready to go into medicine yet, so I did healthcare consulting for a couple of years in Boston. I realized cubicle life was not for me but the experience reignited my interest in medicine. In medical school, I had no idea what I wanted to do until my surgery rotation and then I realized I loved working with my hands more than I expected. ENT was a late decision because I wasn’t exposed to it until the end of my third year. It was sort of one of those moments where it clicked. I loved the variety and complexity of the surgeries, the fact it was a balance of clinical and surgical, and the people I met in ENT.

SY: That’s super cool, I also worked in life sciences consulting in Boston for my gap years and came to very similar realizations. The people that you work with are really such an important factor in choosing specialties and something I think we often forget.

SY: What is one thing you wish you had known during your training?

GB: If I could say maybe one overarching thing, it would be to embrace the journey. Medicine, regardless of specialty, is a long and winding process. There are a lot of really high highs and low lows. It’s easy to just want the training to be over. But now that I’m on the other side of things, I miss training. There are so many lessons and joyful moments all along the way, from the day-to-day interactions with patients to the debriefs with the attending after finishing a big case.

SY: How has mentorship impacted your surgical career? 

GB: I would absolutely not be where I am now without the help of so many mentors along the way. One of my attendings in residency taught me early on to treat every single surgery, no matter how big or small, as the biggest case of your life. Because for the patient, it is. And then I had other incredible mentors who helped me in terms of deciding to go into pediatrics, academics, and thyroid surgery. 

SY: If you had not done ENT, what would you have done instead?

GB: I would have stayed in something surgical. Maybe pediatric surgery through general surgery. I was just drawn more to the head and neck area in terms of anatomy and the interconnectedness of its various functions than the rest of the body. 

SY: Did you always know you wanted to do pediatrics?

GB: I have always been so energized by interacting with kids and in awe of how resilient they are. 

SY: How did you pick your area of fellowship and specialization within ENT?

GB: I loved every area of ENT. I also had amazing mentors in every subspecialty who I loved working with and whose careers I really admired. But ultimately, it was recognizing that the patient population I love working with is kids. 

SY: What are you most proud of, personally and/or professionally?

GB: Personally, I am most proud of my son, who is 2 and a half years old. He has been such a transformative influence in my life both personally and professionally. He has taught me so much about resilience and given me a new perspective on the experience of parents who I interact with every day. It has given me so much respect and empathy for what parents go through. 

SY: How did you decide when you wanted to start a family? 

GB: I think there’s never really a perfect time to start a family in medicine. It’s truly such a personal decision and dependent on all of the different variables in your life. I had my son towards the end of fellowship when I felt like there was enough stability in my life to take on the additional role of being a mom. But honestly, there is no right answer. Some people have kids in med school, residency, fellowship, or waited until they were attendings. I will say that it really takes a village, and it’s so important to have a good support network.  

SY: How do you balance your work schedule and the OR and being there for your kid? What support systems have you leaned on? 

GB: It’s hard. There are times when you have to cancel clinic or the OR because your kid is really sick. But that’s one of the things I love about UCSF, they have been so supportive. It makes a huge difference when you surround yourself with people who are supportive of you not just as a medical professional but as a whole person. We have also been fortunate to have an amazing nanny and grandparents.  

SY: What is a question you wish more people had asked you? 

GB: I guess I wish people had asked me about the hard times in medicine and how to navigate that. That was something I didn’t ask about, and then when you struggle, it can feel so isolating and hard. But when you start talking about it with others, whether it’s other medical students, residents, fellows, or even now as an attending, you realize everyone is going through the same thing. It really helped to not feel like I was alone. 

SY: Were there times when you thought you wouldn’t continue with medicine?

GB: There were definitely times in residency when I thought, “This is really hard” and “I don’t know if it is the right path for me.” And that’s when I leaned heavily on my mentors and support network. I keep in contact with friends from med school, residency, and fellowship and it helps to be able to sympathize with each other about what we are all going through. Having those relationships has been so important for me.

SY: Anything you’d like to add?

GB: I’d just say that medical training and a career in medicine can be hard, it’s a hard road. Wherever you are, know that there are resources and people out there who can and want to help you! And then turn around and pay it forward. But it is also an incredible privilege to do what we do, and there are many rewards along the way: so try your best to be present and embrace the journey!