New Resident Spotlight: Omid Behbahani-Nejad

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 
I’m currently rotating (and loving my time!) on the Hurst Cardiology Service at Emory University Hospital in Midtown. I’m coming down from Northeast Ohio Medical University located in Akron, Ohio (you know, the city of LeBron James).

Why did you decide to pursue a career in medicine?
The patients. Being able to impact their quality of life by improving health issues that can be debilitating for many is a true blessing and privilege in the field of medicine. I think I truly appreciate this concept because I’ve seen my immediate family on the other end and it’s made me become much more appreciative of the intangible skills that can serve as a key element in enhancing the patient-family experience, especially when people are at their most vulnerable.

How have your first few weeks of residency been?
Aside from learning how to adapt quickly to the logistics of how things are run (EMR, putting in the right orders, how to discharge, PPE criteria), it has been extremely fun connecting with my co-interns, residents, attendings, the nursing staff, etc.

What are you most looking forward to during your time at Emory?
Oh, that’s easy. The day that the COVID-19 vaccine comes out (rooting for Emory to get there first!), because that means less concern for contracting and shedding virus, social events will kick back up, and life will hopefully return to the norm.

What is your favorite thing about living in Atlanta?
The heat – hahaha, just kidding! I’m a big foodie and I love the diverse food scene here. Also, the nature in Atlanta is awesome (I highly recommend Tallulah Falls). Piedmont Park holds a sweet spot in my heart and I can’t wait for those electric scooters to come back so I can zoom around the entire park once again.

Can you share a fun fact?
I’ll give a fact, and also something ‘fun’ about me: My name (pronounced, ‘O’meed’) means ‘hope’ in Farsi/Persian. As for ‘fun,’ I used to play college-level Quidditch on a team that was nationally-ranked back in the day.