Ashley Y. Choi, MD, MHS
Cardiothoracic Surgery Resident
Ashley Y. Choi is a resident in the Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery Program. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University and completed her medical training at Duke University School of Medicine.
What do you enjoy most about cardiothoracic surgery as a career?
I chose cardiothoracic surgery because it combines medically dynamic operations with a profound and immediate impact on patients. Whether it is taking a patient through an aortic arch repair, fixing a congenital heart defect, or extracting 'doughnut jelly'-like emboli from the farthest reaches of the pulmonary tree, every operation requires a different approach based on patient anatomy and physiology. It is a gift to be able to use my hands and my judgment to help others day in and day out.
What do you enjoy most about training at Stanford?
Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgery affords the opportunity to train with exceptional colleagues and learn from world-class surgeons. The culture of excellence permeates well beyond the training environment and into a collective mission of improving patient care through innovation and scientific discoveries. I am excited and grateful to be mentored by such a professionally noteworthy and dedicated faculty.
What has been the most interesting experience from your residency so far?
That my co-interns are as cool as they appeared to be on zoom.
What was your experience like during the interviewing and matching process?
It was both an exciting and nerve-wracking time, to say the least! I had a ginormous spreadsheet to keep track of programs, logged many hours talking to residents at various programs, and paid attention to my "gut feeling" on each interview day. Ultimately, I felt that I had done everything I could to make an informed decision in terms of my rank list and was over the moon to find out I matched at Stanford. I still remember the excitement from the day of getting calls from Dr. Woo and Dr. Fischbein. I was grateful to share this special day with friends and family.
What advice would you give to medical students?
I believe the most important part of the residency application process is to be honest with yourself about your priorities and values. Choosing a residency program is a highly personal decision. There is an endless list of factors to consider, including location, type of training environment, exposure to certain specialties, mentorship, research opportunities, program size, and training sites. I've been told multiple times that there is no "perfect program,” but the good news is that there is a perfect program for YOU based on your priorities. It certainly was difficult to rank programs without having visited most of them. Believe in the process, though - Zoom interactions were better than expected in terms of gauging the overall culture and imagining what my life would be like at various locations.
What’s your favorite thing(s) about the Bay Area/California?
There is so much that I love about the Bay! I'm a Southern California native, and it's been great to come back to the best coast.
What are some fun facts about yourself?
Fun facts: 1) I was allergic to eggs until I couldn't handle not eating eggs anymore at age 28. Since then, I've been an avid fan of eggs benedict. 2) I rescued a pup in my third year of medical school, and she is the best thing that's happened to me. Her name is Mikko, and we're doing a DNA test for her 4th birthday coming up in May! 3) My co-intern, Matt, also got a dog since starting intern year, and his dog, Aspen, and Mikko are best friends. It’s totally doable to have a pet in residency! 4) I can eat dim sum all day, every day.
