Interview: Pulkit Taunk ~ Attending Physician

Pronouns: he/his

Current job title: MD - Attending Physician at Bellevue Hospital

Education Background:

• BS in psychology at Duke

• MD/MPH at University of Miami

• Residency training at NYU

What skills did you acquire as a student that prepared you the most for your position/career?

I think being organized, structured, and disciplined in college were what prepared me most for my profession. The medical knowledge came with training. But these softer skills set up to handle the challenges of being in the medical field.

Which activities or courses do you wish you had taken to be better prepared for what you are doing right now?

I would keep your education as broad and diverse as possible before entering the medical field. Study whatever your heart desires. Being able to bring a perspective from another field (humanities, arts, literature, etc.) will enrich your medical training!

What's a typical work week for you? Do you think that your duties are the same for anyone with your job title or level within an organization?

Typical work week is varied. Generally speaking I work with medical residents and PAs to take care of patients. We come up with plans together. When I'm stumped on problems I do a lot of reading, talk with consultants, and discuss cases with the other faculty members.

I think my duties for my job title would be very different if I were at a different organization.

What are the greatest rewards of your work?

Working with my excellent residents and PAs. They make the job worthwhile. Also seeing my patients get better is a huge part of the job!

If things develop as you would like, what types of career goals do you see for yourself?

I hope to one day be helping make systems changes for the hospital and helping advance medical education at a broader level!

Is there anything you wished you had known about this field when you were just starting out?

Make sure to have mentors! Find people in this profession to help guide you. It can be people that have just started or folks that have been doing this profession for years. But find someone that has gone through what you might be going through in the future!

Has your typical work week changed prior to the Covid-19 outbreak? Why or why not?

Yes! During the peak of COVID, Bellevue was filled with almost exclusively COVID patients. Taking care of a higher volume of patients required our schedules to change and to be flexible with our hours and duties on service.

What has been the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge was trying to keep up morale in the face of a global pandemic! But we managed to stay positive with all those around us.

Lastly, is there anything you want to shout out to the world?

Follow your gut and listen to your heart! You are incredible and will succeed in whatever you choose. Put your mind to it and just do your best!