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“A career in medicine was always in the back of my mind,” Tani Jausurawong Wiest, DO, says of her childhood in Northern Virginia’s suburbs. It wasn’t until her undergraduate years at Virginia Tech that those ambitions came into sharper focus. Dr. Jausurawong Wiest recalls how her sorority’s philanthropy activities frequently exposed her to underserved rural communities not far from campus.
“It was sad to see how many people didn’t have easy access to health care,” she says. “That really motivated me to do my part to help.”
After graduating from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Jausurawong Wiest completed a combined residency in internal and emergency medicine at Jefferson Health—Northeast in Philadelphia. She returned “home” in 2017 for a critical care fellowship through the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/MedStar Washington Hospital Center program, and welcomed the opportunity to join the Hospital Center’s Critical Care staff last year as an attending physician.
Why Critical Care Medicine?
“Critical care found me,” Dr. Jausurawong Wiest says of her specialty. “I discovered how I could make a big impact in patients’ lives and help their families as well. I was also fortunate to work with some great intensivists who helped shape my career direction and interests.”
As a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Jausurawong Wiest always tries to approach patient care in a holistic manner while also focusing on symptoms.
“We are taught to consider the whole patient—mind, body, and spirit—and use these principles to advance care out of the ICU, keeping in mind that each patient’s needs may differ,” she explains. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Jausurawong Wiest coordinates the Hospital Center’s Surgical Critical Care fellowship program.
“Having recently completed the program myself and transitioned into professional practice, I know the training fellows need as they reach this stage,” she says. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to help shape the program.”
Outside of Work
Medicine has also found its way into Dr. Jausurawong Wiest’s home life, as her husband, Philip, is a federal patent examiner specializing in biomedical devices. In addition to her longtime interests in travel, working out, hiking, and trying new restaurants, Dr. Jausurawong Wiest recently joined a social book club to help get into the habit of reading for pleasure.
“It’s not quite as rigorous as medical school,” she says with a laugh, “but they are very serious about participating and keeping up.”
