Alexis Janoczkin, DO

Get to know Alexis Janoczkin, DO, internal medicine resident.

Career goal: Pulmonary critical care or cardiology

“After spending years studying and aspiring to be a doctor, training at LVHN makes me certain I’m going to be a great one.”

What makes your Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) training program different from others across the country?

Even on my interview day, I knew LVHN was different than others across the country. LVHN fosters a truly holistic approach to resident physician growth. With a supportive environment that is unparalleled, I have found mentors in each of my attendings that have helped me identify and strive for my career goals. Through them, I have developed and continue to strengthen my thought process for assessing and managing patients of varying acuities, published research in the form of case reports and quality improvement projects and created an education model to prioritize my own and student education during the day-to-day workflow, while maintaining a work-life balance. Even though LVHN is a large hospital system that manages a large volume of some of the sickest patients within the area, it embraces its small-hospital feel with attendings and leadership who know you personally and push you toward your goals.

What has been the most extraordinary part of your training experience so far?

The most unique part of my training so far would be the vast opportunities for continuity of care. Given our X+Y rotation schedule, I spend a full week in the outpatient clinic each month building my patient panel with regular follow-ups to navigate my patients’ comorbidities and become an integral advocate in their lives. Something unique about this 4+1 schedule is that it allows residents to be fully present during each hospital rotation without weekly breaks for a half-day clinic session, which has allowed me more time to spend with patients at their most vulnerable moments. From this, I have developed trusting patient-physician relationships that have extended beyond their admissions to the outpatient setting where I became their primary clinician to support them with their long-term health and wellness.

What is one memory you have from your training so far that will stick with you for your career?

A memory that has stuck with me would be a night shift in the MICU [medical intensive care unit]. Our team decided to order takeout as a midnight pick-me-up to celebrate our last shift of the week. We ate, laughed and worked on notes. At LVHN, there is a true balance between the necessary seriousness that comes with being a physician and the dedication to resident well-being. While there are wellness events scheduled into the year, each shift is filled with good moments and memories. Even on the hardest days and most stressful shifts, there is always something to help keep you smiling through it.

What is one piece of advice you would share with someone as they select a training program?

While there are many factors that aid in selecting a training program, the best advice would be to follow your gut. Throughout the interview process, it is easy to get caught up within every program’s specific details that you lose sight on how a program made you feel. During my interview at LVHN, I found myself the most comfortable and excited alongside program leadership and current residents who shared and matched my energy and enthusiasm. As the interview season went on, I liked many places, but none I could truly see myself, outside of LVHN. Looking back almost a year into residency, I know I chose a place that feels like home.

What does it mean to be a resident at LVHN?

Being an LVHN resident means you are never alone. Even on day one, I felt support from every angle with my co-interns, seniors, fellows and attendings. Everything is done in collaboration that focuses on improving your critical-thinking skills, time management, triaging and knowledge base all while prioritizing empathetic patient-care. At LVHN, I am confident in my education to try, fail and learn from my mistakes, and stand back up using the unwavering support of my peers and leadership. After spending years studying and aspiring to be a doctor, training at LVHN makes me certain I’m going to be a great one.