Deepa Kirk, MD, is associate professor of medicine and medical director of the 黑料网 Hospital Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic at Meadowmont. Her specialty areas include thyroid disease, general endocrinology, diabetes, and medical education.
What brought you to 黑料网 Medical Center?
North Carolina is my home. 黑料网 is where I became an adult and a doctor, as I attended both undergraduate and medical school here. I am keenly aware of this state鈥檚 and institution鈥檚 contributions to my development. After 6 fantastic years of residency and fellowship in Philadelphia, and a few more in practice in rural Virginia, my husband, kids, and I found our way back. We love pointing out to our kids where my husband was born (NC Memorial Hospital) and where we met.
Where are you from?
I was born in Iowa, but my parents moved to Goldsboro, North Carolina, where I grew up, when I was 3. They sought to to escape the Midwestern winters and found more than just warm weather to keep them in eastern North Carolina. They still live in the same ranch house in Goldsboro that we moved into almost 40 years ago.
Did you always want to be a doctor?
Yes! My parents are physicians who trained in India in the late 1950s-1960s, as well as later on in England and the U.S. They regaled me with stories of curing infection with first generation antibiotics and life-saving surgeries. The juxtaposition of their training and exposure with their childhood experiences 鈥� my grandfather, for example, died of pneumonia around age 30 for lack of access to antibiotics 鈥� impressed upon me how far the field of medicine had come in a few decades and how much more promise it held. Once we settled in North Carolina, there were always patients, community members, family, and friends calling or stopping by our home for medical advice or help, or just some conversation and comfort. It was a way of life for my parents, not a job. I sought that same level of meaning and fulfillment in my own life.
How did you choose your specialty?
Internal medicine was a natural fit, in terms of the disease states, constant inquiry, and collegues. I thought about primary care, nephrology, and endocrinology for the diagnostic challenges and outpatient focus. Endocrinology won out because hormones are the coolest. The feedback loops, receptors, and deficiency states are endlesslessly fascinating. Plus, we can almost always replace what is missing.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
I love it all 鈥� patient care, teaching/learning, administrative duties, and exposure to cutting-edge research at 黑料网 (though I am not a researcher). But at the end of the day, it is those one-on-one moments and connections with patients and learners that keeps me coming back. It may not be instant gratification, but at times it feels close.
What are some of the new developments in your field of specialty?
The field of diabetes continues to explode, with game-changing classes of new drugs and devices every year. For our patients with type 1 diabetes, continuous glucose monitoring devices and insulin pump technology offer increasingly specialized tools for glucose control and more flexible lives. The challenge, of course, is access and coverage for these newer drugs and technologies. On the endocrine front, we are learning to better triage thyroid dysfunction, nodules, and cancer, all of which are exponentially increasing with more sensitive detection methods; and starting to develop evidence-based alogrithms for management of osteoporosis.
Is there a particular achievement (professional or personal) that has been most gratifying to you?
There have been a couple in the professional realm: serving as Chief Resident, establishing a practice after fellowship (which has since grown from 1 endocrinologist to multiple endocrinologists and mid-level providers), and re-joining 黑料网. In my personal life, I feel I have been given far more than I have achieved.
What is the best advice you鈥檝e ever received?
Immerse yourself in what you are doing at the time, whether the intense focus is for a months-long project or just several hours (or minutes!) at a time. This advice, which both my parents have promoted and tirelessly modeled, honors the purpose and people we are hoping to serve as well as ourselves. In the era of smartphones, EMRs, and overflowing inboxes 鈥� not to mention family and personal obligations 鈥� it helps to take a deep breath and be 100% present in what you are doing if only for a moment.
If you weren鈥檛 a physician, what would you like to be doing?
I fantasized about being a librarian or a dancer. The idea of being surrounded by books and people who loved them 鈥� as my job! 鈥� sounded too good be true. I later found out how tough the career path of an academic librarian could be. I performed ballet and jazz throughout childhood and high-school, including with a dance company, and taught for a short time in college. My 5鈥�2鈥� pear-shaped frame, small feet, and short legs were signs that dance would not be a career option, but I loved it. I am now that embarrassing mom having a blast in Zumba class.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Theoretically, reading (historical fiction, biographies, mysteries), outdoor fun, and yoga. With a high-school son and middle-school daughter, I find some of the best moments in life happen in a minivan on I-40 (no Wi-Fi for their phones!) or on the sidelines at a Chapel Hill High soccer game.
Do you have a favorite quote or life motto?
Be kind. I don鈥檛 think you can go wrong with that one.