Welcome back to What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up for the second part of our conversation with Dr. David Liang, and he continues our discussion by explaining what you’ll typically find on a resident’s schedule. We talk about the factors that lead people away from applying to medical school, the attributes of a good doctor, the transition between medical school and working at a hospital, and the (many) tests that you’ll need to take to become a cardiologist. After explaining why California is a haven for doctors, our guest walks us through his standard work day and the procedures he performs, the differences between cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, the most bizarre case he’s ever encountered, and how Google is reshaping the landscape of modern medicine. Dr. Liang is a people’s person, and forming relationships is his favorite part of his job. He describes Marfan Syndrome in great detail and explains why this condition is one of his main concerns. With the advancement of technology and medical innovations, now is the perfect time to get into medicine, and Dr. Liang graciously leaves us with encouraging words of advice for any young, aspiring medical professionals.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. David Liang explains what a resident’s schedule looks like. 
• How the high workload and intensive hours turn people away from studying medicine. 
• Why the medical school admissions process is a bigger problem than we may realize. 
• The traits of a good doctor. 
• How one quickly gets over the gruesome aspect of medicine after enough exposure. 
• Dr. Liang breaks down the transition from medical school to working at a hospital. 
• A brief interlude on using animal hearts for experiments and teaching. 
• The tests you need to take to become a doctor and specifically, a cardiologist. 
• Why our guest chose to practice medicine in California. 
• A typical work day in the life of Dr. Liang, and the procedures he most commonly performs.  
• The differences between the tools of a cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon. 
• Why cardiologists should always be aware of the rest of the body as well. 
• Dr. Liang’s most interesting and bizarre case that involved nicotine gum as the treatment.  
• The power of Google in modern medicine. 
• What our guest loves most about his job, and how he goes about finding new patients. 
• The ins and outs of Marfan syndrome, and why Dr. Liang is focused on the condition. 
• Why now is a great time to get into medicine, and Dr. Liang’s advice to aspiring medical professionals. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. David Liang on LinkedIn

Dr. David Liang Stanford Profile

Stanford Health Care

Hoag Medical Group | Dr. David Liang 

The Marfan Foundation

ACME Meat Company 

Jonathan Larson

Vincent Covello 

John Ritter 

Magic Johnson 

James Carter