Gazelle Zerafati-Jahromi, MD

Where I am from: I grew up in Philly, went to Yale for undergrad, and came to Wash U for med school.

Where I am going: I will be applying for epilepsy fellowship this year. Effective epilepsy management can yield such significant improvements in a child’s development and quality of life with a wide array of opportunities to contribute to their care in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Furthermore, advances in epilepsy genetics research have expanded our toolkit of evidence-based evaluations and treatments.

Why I am here: Our program has an incomparable combination of excellent training, wonderful teachers and colleagues, and high-quality lifestyle and cost of living. All of our rotations promote the residents as the leaders of the team and patient care starting in intern year. The training here fosters independence and confidence from the very beginning. Our attendings and fellows are passionate about teaching and do so in a constructive and approachable manner. The overall professional atmosphere is genuinely warm and friendly. Prioritization of a healthy work environment is extremely important to me, as it is a significant contributing factor to one’s overall quality of life. Finally, the lifestyle and cost of living here in St. Louis is simply not attainable in the vast majority of the country. St. Louis is not so big as to be obnoxious and unmanageable and not so small as to be boring. We have abundant restaurant options, museums and outdoor activities. The Central West End, the neighborhood immediately surrounding the hospitals, is safe, family-friendly and easily walkable. And the rent here is literally a fraction of what other major cities tend to run and will buy you a much bigger and nicer space within walking distance of work. Overall, our program is unique because it offers both an excellent training experience and living experience, both of which are equally important.