Did you always know you would practice medicine? 

Since I was in high school, maybe even earlier, it was always in the back of my mind. I took a lot of science courses (with very few women in them) and always loved learning about the human body. While studying Neuroscience in college, I really solidified my interest in pursuing a career in medicine. 

Why did you choose internal medicine as your field of practice?

I was very attracted to Internal medicine as it brought together all of medicine and never narrowed my scope of practice, allowing for exposure to a wide range of diseases and pathologies. As an internist, we are like detectives, often given a large number of complaints which don’t always feel connected but must be pieced together. Primary care was attractive to me particularly because I loved making deeper, more longitudinal connections with patients and assisting them in their long term wellness goals.

What is your mission, core values, brand culture?

As a primary care physician, I am always seeking to assist patients on their healthcare journey. I constantly preach the importance of looking at one’s lifestyle in order to understand how this may impact one’s health including factors such as stress, sleep, diet and nutrition. There is so much we can do to improve our overall health without extra medications or interventions and this “less is more” approach seems to align well with many of my patients. I always want patients to be their best advocate for their overall wellness. 

In terms of my brand, through my social media I like to give insight into my life as a doctor both in and out of the clinic, providing up to date medical information as well as a peek into my personal life and interests outside of medicine. Normalizing doctors as humans is important and can actually help patients feel closer to their physicians and build more trust in the medical community.

How did you develop your grit and resilience?

Having amassed such honourable excellence awards in your education and career.–> I faced many challenges in becoming a physician, was told no many times, but always kept my goals in mind and did not waiver from achieving them. Many will tell you no in your pursuit of a difficult profession but if you want something badly, you can absolutely achieve it! Oftentimes in medical school and residency I was outnumbered by men, I took this as a challenge and an honor to be one of the women to represent females in healthcare and display our equal abilities as physicians.

What systems do you have in place for internal growth? 

In my medical practice, we gather a lot of feedback from patients from various resources/surveys. This provides a lot of insight into the overall patient experience when they come to see me and where I can improve in various aspects.

How do you set goals within your team and achieve them?

Within my primary care practice we have consistent monthly meetings to discuss areas of improvement and how we can move our practice forward. Communication is absolutely key in a large practice and continuously checking in on each other to ensure things are running smoothly. 

What does success represent to you?

True success comes with a feeling of personal accomplishment, be it through patient satisfaction, providing the best quality healthcare, and helping a patient succeed in their healthcare journey. 

What advice would you give yourself looking back at the time when you were a resident?

To appreciate the journey medicine takes you on, not to think too far ahead in the future and just enjoy the learning experience. Residency is also a very collegial time in your training and this is something you should savor, making deep connections with your peers and learning from them.

What motivates you?

Seeing patients improve healthwise and making critical diagnoses that might have gone overlooked are very important to me. Listening to patients you can discover so much about them and their experiences in medicine. I want to make the patient experience with a doctor more positive overall and when I see patient’s so happy with their time with me it is truly the best gift.

How do you apply balance in your day to day life?

As a primary care physician, I am lucky to have a schedule which grants me a good amount of free time to enjoy with friends and family and well as pursue hobbies and interests outside of medicine. I also make it a point throughout the week to see friends and be social, making the grind of the work week go by easier!

If you could have one superpower it would be?

Probably time travel, there are so many amazing people and eras I would love to experience!

Follow @AlexandraKrepsMD on Instagram!