Get to know Kira Galeano, MD, medical toxicology fellow.
Career goal: I really appreciate the consulting service LVHN started and would love to replicate this somewhere where I’m still able to keep my emergency medicine skills sharp and have a role in resident/fellow education.
My attendings know me and my goals and have been so great at finding avenues for me to continue growing toward the career I want.
What makes your Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) training program different from others across the country?
The consulting service LVHN developed is a thing of beauty. Having done my residency here, I became very spoiled with the luxury of being able to speak directly with a toxicologist 24/7 without having to go through a poison center, and it’s rewarding to now be on the other side of that call as the toxicologist. You will experience the full spectrum of toxicology from substance use disorders to the occasional, rare heavy metal toxicity or cobra envenomation. Even as one of five fellows my first year, there were plenty of consults to be seen, and I never felt lacking of experience. With one year down, I feel confident managing the “bread and butter” toxicology cases and always feel supported discussing the more complex cases with my attendings.
What piece of advice would you share with someone as they select a training program?
Try to identify early which aspects of toxicology appeal to you and make sure you ask the exposure you’ll get to them. For example, not all toxicology programs handle addiction medicine consults and may have a separate service that covers this. Additionally, I always think that getting to know the faculty during the interview process is important. Mentorship is huge, so you want to go somewhere that has people you are excited to learn from. I also would not be afraid to get down to the specifics when you’re interviewing – do fellows have protected time to go to NACCT/ACMT and are they paid for by the fellowship? What is the board pass-rate of graduates? Is the expectation that you come in to see every phone consult?
What does it mean to be a fellow at LVHN?
You have the opportunity to join this elite squad of brilliant toxicologists who genuinely love what they do and create a warm environment for you to learn and grow. It comes complete with all the quirky personalities you would expect to find in a close family with the undercurrent that everyone still loves and respects those around them. I genuinely feel like I’m part of a team when I’m working with my attendings to form plans for patients and feel that my input is always heard and encouraged.
What has been the most extraordinary part of your training experience so far?
At the very beginning of my first year of fellowship, I immediately experienced imposter syndrome and was nervous that I would not be able to accomplish enough to feel like an adequate fellow in a sea of brilliant toxicologists. I cannot pinpoint the exact time this started to fade away, but it continues to fade every day. I have grown so much over the past year with the support of my co-fellows and attendings. The constant board review is still intimidating at times, but leaps and bounds better than it was a year ago. Additionally, I have been able to pursue research/publication/leadership opportunities and never felt like they were forced on me. My attendings know me and my goals and have been so great at finding avenues for me to continue growing toward the career I want.
What are some of your favorite memories from fellowship so far?
The conferences have to be up there! As fellows, we have protected time and financial support to go to NACCT and ACMT every year, and this inevitably ends up being such a bonding experience. A few of my favorite conference moments: riding the Ferris wheel in Montreal, the Washington, D.C. zoo trip and buying a big foam finger at a hockey game. The small, day-to-day memories with my co-fellows hold a special place in my heart as well. I subject them to a large amount of Taylor Swift and random TikTok videos, and in return they share countless sports memes and movie quotes.