Aarushi Kalra, DO
Name
Aarushi Kalra, DO
Residency Program
Internal Medicine
Program Year
PGY-1
Medical School
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Home
Nashville, TN and Atlanta, GA
About
Dr. Kalra earned her BS at Augusta University in Augusta, GA. After undergrad, she attended Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in Suwanee, GA. While attending PCOM, she lived at home, which she highly recommends because of the access to good food and an unwavering support system. Since being in medical school is very challenging, she says, the best thing for a person to have during this time is a good support system! Dr. Kalra enjoyed the osteopathic way of teaching due to its holistic approach. She states that she felt very well prepared for her residency coming out of PCOM. Dr. Kalra chose internal medicine because she compares it to a puzzle. She enjoys using all her skills to solve a problem and says that her job allows her to do this. She was also drawn to internal medicine because she could form lasting relationships with her patients while also keeping their hospital stays as short as possible.
Dr. Kalra lives near the hospital due to the short commute. On a normal day, Dr. Kalra wakes up at 5:30 am and gets ready to arrive at the hospital by 7 am. When she arrives, she begins to pre-chart on all her patients and pre-round. She normally has five patients. Dr. Kalra works alongside another PGY-1 resident under the supervision of a PGY-3 resident. During this time, she is able to see any new labs or notes from the night shift. At 7:30 am, the PGY-1s have a morning meeting where they focus on one patient and come up with a treatment plan. The residents are able to ask many questions and then apply their knowledge to their own patients. The morning meeting ends around 8 am, and Dr. Kalra has a few minutes to finish up her pre-chart and pre-rounds. Dr. Kalra normally begins her rounds around 8:15 – 8:30 am, though some days change depending on if she is rounding with the attending or not.
While rounding, Dr. Kalra checks in on her patients. She loves being able to talk to them and their family. After rounding, Dr. Kalra, her fellow intern, her PGY-3 supervisor and her attending discuss all the patients that they oversee and confirm a treatment course. At 12:00 pm, all the Internal Medicine residents have a one-hour conference every Monday through Friday. During this time, they learn about new hospital protocols, have guest lecturers and study for their board exams. During the noon conference, Dr. Kalra gets lunch, or she grabs it after. From 1:00 – 7:30 pm, Dr. Kalra continues to chart on her patients. During this time, she speaks to other specialists who are also on her patient care team and continues to monitor her patients’ progress. When she arrives home, she usually exercises or studies. Some nights, though, she and the other residents play sand volleyball.
In her free time, Dr. Kalra enjoys hanging out with friends, watching TV and trying new restaurants and breweries. Dr. Kalra’s favorite Gainesville restaurant is Taqueria Tsunami, which she highly recommends!