Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Complaints against officer keep coming
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Region makes way for latest batch of snow; cancellations rise
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Physician couple must balance career and family as first-year residents at Summa Health System. Finding time to spend together can be challenge
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Monday, Oct 12, 2009
Chemistry brought the Drolshagens together.
Colin and Katie met during their freshman year at the University of Dallas in chemistry class and have been inseparable ever since.
They married the summer between their first and second year of medical school at Creighton University in Nebraska and planned for residencies in the same hospital.
These days, however, finding time to spend together can be a challenge.
They are first-year residents at Summa Health System, sharing the responsibilities of raising two children while juggling work and studies.
Dr. Colin Drolshagen recently started a three-year family medicine residency, while his wife, Dr. Katie Drolshagen, began a four-year pathology residency.
The 26-year-old doctors are relying on Katie's parents and sister, who live nearby, to help watch their 2-year-old and 5-month-old daughters when they're putting in long hours at the hospital.
''That's our lifeline,'' Colin said.
10 a.m. July 27
The 'gross lab,'
Akron City Hospital
Dr. Katie Drolshagen grabs a white bucket and carefully lifts the lid.
Inside, she finds a section of a suspected cancerous colon removed from a 76-year-old.
The pieces and parts from surgery are tucked into white buckets and shipped to the hospital's gross lab. It's the pathology residents' job to poke, prod, measure and examine them and document initial or ''gross'' impressions by dictating findings into a recorder.
Smaller samples then are scrutinized more closely under microscope in another lab.
Just three weeks into her residency, Katie prepared for this day by copying a couple of pages from a pathology textbook and sticking them inside a plastic sleeve for reference.
With her gloved hands, Katie pulls the colon and measures it.
''The portion of the detached colon measures 25.4 centimeters, period,'' Katie says into a recorder.
She's still getting used to speaking the punctuation marks at the end of her sentences — a necessity when doctors are dictating reports.
After examining the exterior, Katie picks up scissors made for cutting into bowel sections to slice into the intestine.
Dr. Raymond Clarke, Summa's chairman of the Department of Pathology and pathology residency director, assists.
''Oh, this is a lovely tumor,'' he says when they find a mass inside.
''Don't wash away the mucosa,'' he warns as Katie cleans the section in the lab's sink.
Katie then feels the colon for tiny polyps and documents her findings.
''You also should say how deeply the tumor invades the wall,'' Clarke reminds her.
Her findings are critical. Doctors base their diagnosis and treatment on what the pathologist discovers.
Katie finds the work fascinating. But at times, she admits, the gross lab can be kind of gross, especially the smell. Some days, she can't eat after her work is done.
The gangrene fingers and toes are the worst.
''I hate those,'' she says.
Path to Akron
The Drolshagens followed different paths to the same place.
Colin grew up part of a medical family in Arkansas.
His father is a radiologist and his mother studied medicine before opting to stay home to raise Colin and his three siblings.
From an early age, he was exposed to hospitals.
''My dad got all the boys in the family to help him in the hospital hanging up slides in junior high,'' he recalled.
Throughout medical school, he found he liked ''a little bit of everything.''
Family medicine was a perfect fit.
''Getting to know the whole family is neat,'' he said. ''The saying is 'the womb to the tomb.' ''
Katie doesn't have a medical background. But she always enjoyed science when she was home-schooled in a suburb of Akron.
She began considering a career in health care after volunteering at an area nursing home as a teen.
When it came time to select a medical specialty, she initially applied for obstetrics/gynecology but changed her mind.
Pathology ''is probably the one that's closest to basic science,'' she said.
It also seemed a better fit for her growing family.
The Drolshagens had their first child during their third year of medical school. Their second daughter was born May 9 — exactly a week before they graduated from medical school and a few weeks before they moved to Ohio.
Unlike many other residencies, pathology residents don't rotate to other areas of the hospital or take ''in-house call,'' which requires residents to stay at the hospital for as long as 30 hours per shift.
Pathologists also tend to have more regular, scheduled hours than some other specialists, Katie said.
The couple selected Summa as their top choice.
Katie's family still lives in the Akron area and often helps the busy couple.
''One of the biggest benefits for us is being able to have support from the family,'' Colin said. ''Family is the best.''
9:15 a.m. Aug. 20
Emergency Department,
Akron City Hospital
Dr. Colin Drolshagen is out of medical school but still is learning.
Residents routinely are quizzed by their ''attendings,'' or the practicing physicians in charge. The attendings are part doctors, part teachers, mixing patient care with resident training.
Today's shift in the ER is no exception.
Colin has just checked on a 53-year-old woman with lung disease who is experiencing chest pain. He reviews her symptoms and history with Dr. Sonny Bare, the emergency medicine physician in charge this shift.
And then Dr. Bare begins peppering him with questions:
''What are you going to give her for pain?''
''What is one reason you wouldn't want to use morphine with her?''
''There's a different pain medicine you can use. What is it?''
Colin passes the test, finishes up and moves to the next patient.
''Colinator, I'll probably dictate most of your charts today,'' Dr. Bare tells him. This will speed up the shift and allow them to see more patients.
The new doctor walks into Room 36 and greets Jay Casamento, 37, of Suffield, who is lying on the hospital bed in obvious pain.
She explains that she's experiencing severe pain on the left side of her body.
Colin asks her a few questions and then prepares for an exam.
''Let's check you out,'' he says. ''Just from your history, it sounds like a kidney stone.''
Casamento grimaces as the resident gently pushes on her back.
''Right now, we're going to give you something for your pain and nausea,'' he reassures her.
Colin reviews his findings with Dr. Bare.
''Sounds good,'' Dr. Bare says.
Next stop: Room 44, where a 36-year-old man, is suffering from fever, dizziness, abdominal pain and rectal bleeding.
Colin questions him about his symptoms and then examines him.
''I'm going to push on your stomach a little bit,'' the resident says. ''Does it feel painful?''
''Just full,'' the patient responds.
Time to confer with Dr. Bare.
''What do you got?'' Dr. Bare asks.
Colin runs down the symptoms.
''My thought is to rule out something superficial, like a hemorrhoid or fissure,'' he says.
''Expand your differential,'' Dr. Bare encourages him.
The two agree more tests are needed to rule out diverticular disease and more serious conditions.
Colin quickly moves onto the next room. More patients — and more questions — are waiting.
Shared experiences
Two doctors can make a comfortable living.
But before they're through with their training, they also can compile an uncomfortably large debt.
The Drolshagens estimate that together, they owe about a quarter of a million dollars in loans.
They recently bought a house near her parents, where they stayed for the first month of their residencies.
''We figured we are in enough debt already, why not add a little more?'' Colin joked.
As a family medicine resident, Colin is rotating through different areas of the hospital his first year and often spending overnight shifts at the hospital on call taking care of patients.
Katie's schedule is more predictable than her husband's.
She usually gets to the hospital by 7 a.m., grabs breakfast in the cafeteria and then heads to a lecture before returning to the gross lab.
She's typically done by 5:30 or 6 p.m. and has to come to the hospital on nights and weekends only if she's paged for a special case or an autopsy that's requested by a patient's family.
Katie studies at the hospital whenever possible. Her baby and active toddler make it difficult to concentrate on textbooks at home.
Katie and Colin often share their on-the-job experiences.
''It's nice being able to talk to somebody about it,'' he said.
During one particularly stressful shift in the ER, Colin was part of a team delivering chest compressions to a patient under age 30 who ended up dying.
That night, he told Katie about the situation.
The next day, she was assigned an autopsy, one of 50 she's required to complete before finishing her residency.
She instantly recognized the case and sent a quick text message to Colin.
''We're working on your patient right now.''
7 p.m. Aug. 25
The Drolshagens' home
After a long day on the job, it's good to be home.
Colin spent the morning in the emergency department and the afternoon in the Family Medicine Clinic, where he treated patients with allergies, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Still dressed in his tie and dress pants after his shift in the clinic, Colin walks into the kitchen and grabs two cold pieces of pizza: one for him, the other for his 2-year-old daughter to nibble.
Katie wasn't sure whether he'd be home at all that night, let alone in time for dinner.
Between his frequent on-call shifts and her own work and studies, it's hard to keep track of the family schedule.
Katie stands nearby in the kitchen, cradling their baby in her arms while feeding her a bottle. Her sister, a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic, just left their home after watching the girls all day.
The fridge contains mostly kid-friendly staples, such as a gallon of milk, juice, peanut butter, jelly, yogurt, eggs and strawberries.
Katie and Colin often grab their own meals on the go at the Akron City Hospital cafeteria, where residents get free food.
But whenever possible, weekends are together time, with family dinners and trips to the park or library.
Unpacked boxes still are piled in their front room. They are trying to conquer them by tackling five a day.
Their precocious, curly-haired toddler has other thoughts in mind tonight, though.
''Follow me,'' she announces as she grabs her daddy's hand and leads him across the house and into their backyard.
''Froggies hop! Froggies hop!'' she shouts as she races around the yard, a huge smile on her face.
''Chase! Chase!'' she demands as Colin obliges.
The chase continues until bedtime arrives shortly afterward.
Dressed in PJs, the baby gets her floor time on a play mat in the family room while Colin cuddles his older daughter on his lap and reads Oh, the Places You'll Go.
The busy young physicians still make time for Dr. Seuss in their lives.
Despite the demands at work and home, Katie and Colin are finding their balance.
''We're pretty lucky,'' she says. ''It's a fun profession.''
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
This is the first in a four-part daily series:
SUNDAY: An introduction to residency programs at Akron’s hospitals.
TODAY: Drs. Colin and Katie Drolshagen balance careers and a family.
TUESDAY: Dr. Thomesha Smoot Barton is realizing her childhood dream.
WEDNESDAY: Dr. Chris Myer follows the career path of his father and older brother.
Chemistry brought the Drolshagens together.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 04:42 AM, 10/12/2009
I wish you both the best of luck.May god bless you and your family.
Barberton, OH
Posted 06:38 AM, 10/12/2009
It is wonderful to see nice young families like the Drolshagens' come to our community. I hope they decide to stay at Summa Health System to further their career. As a life long resident of the community I would like to welcome your family. Thank you for choosing Summa Health System.
Posted 09:03 AM, 10/12/2009
Excuse me, but why is this a series? Highlighting the tough work schedule ect of doctors who will no doubt go on to make huge salaries just does not fit.
Gee, trying to cope with two parent working schedules.Hmm Very different indeed than the rest of Akron. I truly respect and appreciate doctors, but how many Doctors willhave egos as big as their bank accounts down the road.
Posted 10:24 AM, 10/12/2009
Kathy,
I do understand your point, but not all physicians are like that, especially family medicine doctors. My husband is a family medicine resident working atleast 80 hours a week, for 45,000 a year, and I am pregnant. Its a very demanding schedule and I basically am a single parent. When a person chooses to go into Family Medicine its because they want to have more time to spend at home with their own families, and they know going into it they are paid less than the other doctors out there. They see anywhere from 30-40 patients a day, and make a third of what some other specialty doctors do and they do more work. Please consider the individual before making assumptions, and until you have walked a day in my shoes you have no idea how difficult it truly is. I agree some doctors are ego maniacs I see them at conferences all the time, but please don't generalize.
C.F., Oh
Posted 10:32 AM, 10/12/2009
Waaah about their bills. The two of them together will be making about half a mil/yearly in a few years. Those loans will quickly be a thing of the past. Try living on minimum wage, folks for the long term. I'm tired of hearing doctors complain. Most of them have it made. And if you're so busy, then don't have kids. waaaahhh
Posted 11:50 AM, 10/12/2009
Why do people go and have kids and then dump them on others most of the time, why not just wait to have them when you can actually put the time into them that they deserve. Kids deserve more than to be treated like they don't matter and don't come first, in fact, it's vital to their self-esteem they feel like they just aren't some rag doll to be strewn around at their parents convenience.
Akron, OH
Posted 12:39 PM, 10/12/2009
Maybe this series will be balanced by focusing on drs. who have been in practice over the last 20 or 30 years.
For the ones I've known, their time is never their own because of the endless stream of patients they are required to see.
Posted 01:11 PM, 10/12/2009
Kathy and Original Akronite, you must be clueless. Most residents work over 80 hours per week and get paid under $40000. Not to mention $150000 in loans each. I commend these two for chasing their dreams against these odds. Ignore the naysayers, good luck Colin and Katie.
Posted 01:17 PM, 10/12/2009
Good Luck Colin and Katie!! Keep working hard! I know first hand how hard it is to be married to a first year resident! It will all payoff in the end and your family will benefit from your dedication! You are lucky to have 150,000 each in loans, my husband has over 350,000 plus my 50,0000! Good luck to you both!
C.F., Oh
Posted 10:33 PM, 10/12/2009
Ben... You did not read my post correctly. I spoke of living on minimum wage for the long term. And I didn't say ALL doctors have it made, but most (at least those I know) do have it made - eventually. Then there are the perks that docs get...and they are many.
There are always sacrifices in this day and age - no matter what the job.
At least this particular couple are choosing routes that will allow for more family time than most and I think that is great. But if these two are currently working 80 hours a week, that is alot of time not to see your children, as 'gg' posted. Great they have family members to help, but it is not the same. Thank goodness for good docs, though. I've had some good experiences with a few in the past. Truly, good luck to this couple and their children.
Posted 11:33 PM, 10/12/2009
No, doctors don't "have it made." Their family does not come first. There is sacrifice and no, those in Family Practice and Pediatrics, for example, are not wealthy. They have bills like everyone, only higher bills. Malpractice insurance is extremely expensive. I think the average price for an OB/GYN for malpractice for one year is $120,000.00. That is just the cost to insure themselves against lawsuits. In addition, they pay employees, carry disability insurance, pay high rent for an office, pay huge fees for equipment, etc. NO they are not rich. That is a myth. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Posted 08:59 AM, 10/13/2009
My point was why was this area worth a series? In these tough economic times to highlight just doctors again seems off. And I'm sorry, I am not buying the "were not well off routine." When you mention malpractice insurance, please tell us the bottom line of actual income. Again, I do respect doctors and their achievments and their committment. But again, their standard of living is very high and they are not the only profession that demands enormous work loads, big loans, and sacrifice. This series seems like the writer is watching too much medical TV .
Posted 09:03 AM, 10/13/2009
And Ben, I think you are the one who is clueless. No Akron hospital pays it's residents under $40,000. If you know one that does please name it
Akron, OH
Posted 12:00 PM, 10/15/2009
Look at the mug on that guy, is that the face a baby can trust!? And whats in those boxes id like to know... maybe bringing home a little "homework"...
Someone better call the cops on these miscreants.
