Q: What is your job and where are you currently working?
Sani: I am back at UCSD! I have worked as a faculty physician in Internal Medicine for UCSD since 1997. My clinical responsibilities include my own faculty practice delivering primary care. Additionally, since UCSD is an academic medical center, I am fortunate enough to work with medical students and residents very regularly in the clinical arena.
Q: How is COVID-19 impacting the work that you do and your life outside of work?
Sani: I think the biggest concern of all physicians during this COVID-19 era is how to delivery care to our patients effectively and safely. I know it sounds dramatic, but truly overnight we had to change they way we practice medicine. I will always have this vivid memory. On Sunday, 3/15/20 we got an urgent page to attend a Zoom meeting regarding COVID -19 and performing virtual visits (telemedicine), for the safety of our patients. That evening, (remember a Sunday evening), 350 UCSD physicians got on the Zoom call. Within three days we delivered medicine via Telemedicine to a tune of ~1200 visits. Prior to that we had done ~800 virtual visits in 3 years. By the next week we were performing most of our visits virtually, approximately, 1000 a day.
Regarding home life, I ended up marrying another Revelle graduate, Timothy Watt, '89. He is really on the front lines as an Emergency physician. So we are both going to work, leaving behind our two daughters at home with distance learning. Thank goodness they are in high school and can fend for themselves! Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful outpouring of gratitude from friends, neighbors and family at this time. The croissants, donuts, and meals dropped off at our house have been so amazing and so appreciated!
