Physician Interview: Dr. David Ruttum
This week’s pre-health interview is with Dr. David Ruttum, an anesthesiologist at the Vail Health Hospital in Vail, Colorado.
Dr. Ruttum embodies what it means to be an expert in his field, a lifelong learner, and a compassionate physician. In his interview, he shared about his path to becoming an anesthesiologist and gave some great advice for the members of AED. Whether or not you are interested in going into the field of anesthesiology, Dr. Ruttum’s insight into being a healthcare professional is something we can all learn from.
What was your path to where you are professionally today?
“I attended the University of Wisconsin as an undergraduate and majored in Biochemistry and English. I was passionate about reading, especially modern British literature, and majoring in English allowed me to hone my analytical skills and learn that the human experience is broad. Everyone must learn the basic sciences to enter medical school, but learning the arts places you in touch with your humanity. Medical schools were very interested in talking to me because of my English major in that I was different than the traditional science major. I applied early decision to the University of Wisconsin medical school and was accepted. During the basic science years of medical school, I enjoyed anatomy, physiology, and neuroscience. I planned on entering orthopaedics, but found that my passion for pain management would be better served in anaesthesiology. I completed my anaesthesiology residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. This was an excellent, traditional residency where we worked long hours and gained a high level of hands-on technical skill. I then completed an acute pain and regional anaesthesia fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. My passion is orthopaedic pain management and my fellowship mentor had contacts at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, CO. My fellowship mentor placed me in contact with the anaesthesiology group and I have been in Vail ever since.”
What made you want to go into the field of anesthesiology?
“I am passionate about orthopaedic pain management. As a beginning medical student, I was fascinated by anatomy, neuroanatomy, and physiology- all three are very basic to the field of anaesthesiology. Couple this with my passion for outdoor sport and the idea of guiding patients through frequently painful orthopaedic surgery, enabling them to perform physical therapy with a tolerable level of pain, and returning them to sport became my professional goal.”
What is your favorite thing about your career?
“I enjoy the diversity of my career. I spend two weeks a month caring for patients in the OR and two weeks caring for in-patient and out-patient pain patients. I have two very different work environments that complement one another.”
What are some of the things you do on a daily/weekly basis as an anesthesiologist?
“On a daily basis, I use pharmacology, physiology, and anatomy to safely guide patients through anesthesia. Many people think anesthesiologists are weird and do not have high level patient interaction skills. I disagree. I have precisely five minutes to meet someone that is frequently terrified of surgery and gain their complete trust that I will safely navigate their surgery. I must demonstrate confidence as well as humility to gain trust.”
What is one thing you wish you had known during your time in college or in medical school?
“Enjoy your life! You will have plenty of time in undergraduate or medical school to work hard and study. Go on that trip. Play that sport. Read that book. Talk to that friend. Be a human. Have wide experiences. This will keep you in touch with your humanity and form compassion for your patients.”
What can students interested in anesthesiology do to prepare and pursue that career?
“Ask to shadow an anesthesiologist. We oftentimes work in the “shadows” and people forget we exist. Otherwise, follow my above advice and experience life! Never forget that we are all people. We all breathe the same air and mostly have the same experiences. As a physician, you are no better than anyone else. Be grateful that you have the opportunity to help people in their time of greatest need.”
Outside of his work, Dr. Ruttum stays active by hiking in the mountains, biking, and running. He loves going with his daughter and hiking buddy, Elizabeth.
Written by Jasmine Hartman Budnik