Dr. Jasrai Gill, who operates out of Neptune, New Jersey, is a practicing cardiologist who specializes in cardio-oncology. Jasrai gill did his fellowship at the Loyola University after completing his residency at Yale New Haven Hospital.
Cardio-oncology is a field of medicine that focuses on the cardiovascular care of cancer patients. It incorporates baseline risk assessments for patients who either have a new cancer diagnosis or who are going through anticancer therapy. Cardio-oncology also includes following the long, short, and intermediate impacts on the cardiovascular system following anticancer treatment.
What do you love most about the industry you are in?
I love that it is an area that is constantly changing. It keeps you intellectually stimulated and constantly evolving. I enjoy the challenge it provides on multiple levels. The last 20 years has seen a dramatic increase in the degree of discovery-level innovation in both pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Several high-value diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have emerged, and there is no indication this is slowing down.
What keeps you motivated?
At this stage, it is taking care of patients and continuing the discovery process, recognizing that there are always layers to a problem. When you think you might know something, you also need the humility to recognize that the issue is probably deeper than you thought, and that keeps me motivated to continue on the path of learning.
When I first started my practice, it was difficult to find the time to see patients and create the time to focus on research like I wanted, particularly because it was a very clinically oriented practice. Now that my practice has evolved and become more structured, I find that I am able to engineer my time so I can participate more in the things that really stimulate me, which includes research projects, participating in early – stage drug development, and patient care.
I am also motivated by my patients, from whom I learn a tremendous amount about the practice of medicine, as well as about life, in general. It is a privilege to be able to do what I do. I also have a great group of partners who are always pushing the envelope, and as younger colleagues join the practice, they bring ideas and approaches that keep the practice as a whole motivated.
Who has been a role model to you and why?
I started following David Goggins on Twitter some time ago. His message is powerful. We really can push beyond our limits. They are far beyond what we think we are capable of. It’s kind of funny, but his story is very germane to what is happening on a cellular level in many conditions – what I mean by this is that he is an exceptionally preconditioned athlete, with a reprogrammed metabolism to be able to survive under conditions of extreme stress – and this type of preconditioning and metabolic reprogramming is something we can learn form to develop a different perspective on things like cancer and heart disease.
How do you maintain a solid work life balance?
I have an extremely supportive family, including my wife and two kids. It is really important to maintain really good communication with them. More so than managing my time, I have had to learn how to manage my energy. I need to recognize when my family needs my energy and to be able to put forth an equal amount of energy and presence there as I do at work. It is challenging at times, but is really the underlying motivation behind everything.
What traits do you possess that makes a successful leader?
Humility, hard work, the willingness to participate in civil discourse, doing more listening than talking, and trying to absorb what I can when interacting with people. Every day and interaction is an opportunity to learn something.
What suggestions do you have for someone starting in your industry?
Keep an open mind, remain focused on the needs of your patients, and think about how you can solve really deep problems in whatever problem you are dealing with.
In particular, the field of cardio-oncology is in its early days. As more high-quality data is generated for specific patient subsets, we will eventually have a greater platform of evidence on which to make decisions for these complex patients.
What has been the hardest obstacle you’ve overcome?
Learning how to manage my energy and multitask was a big challenge for me. Often times some of the problems we encounter are very deep problems, and so it’s easy to get trapped in a tunnel-vision mindset. We have all been there. Being able to zoom in and out was a skill I had to practice. On a personal level, being able to stay “light” in one’s mind-set while encountering large amounts of work has been an evolution. It’s easy to get bogged down with all the non-clinical duties imposed on physicians these days. Seeing the forest from the trees is something every physician must try to do to avoid burnout.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Starting a family with my wife, who is also a physician, and in the midst of intense medical training.
Outside of work, what defines you as a person?
I like to be positive, and I like helping people. As I move through this process of life, I am getting a greater degree of gratification from helping people that are really in need. My wife and I are active contributors to a number of different aid-related organizations.
I also very much enjoy connecting with nature. Whether it’s as simple as going for a run in the park, I find this extremely refreshing.
Where do you see you and your company in 5 years?
My clinical practice is thankfully extremely busy right now. I would like to be able to take on a greater teaching and mentorship role with the residents and the fellows that are coming through our hospital systems. I’d also like to see our practice continue to grow in numbers of providers to take on a larger foot-print of the population. This type of scale is necessary to integrate best-practices and provide seamless care to a large geographical footprint.