Miranda F. Mitchell, MD, FACP
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
LSU Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, LA
— MEDICAL SCHOOL —
Louisiana State University Health System Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC)
New Orleans School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
— INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY —
Earl K. Long Hospital, Baton Rouge, LA
What is your current position?
Associate professor of clinical medicine.
Where did you attend medical school and post grad training?
LSUHSC-New Orleans School of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, LA.
Why did you choose to become a physician?
I love science and briefly considered obtaining a PhD but decided against it after volunteering at a hospital. I loved interacting with patients/people and seeing the real-time result of the impact I had on their medical care.
What field of internal medicine did you select and why?
I am a general internal medicine physician because I love most of the specialties of internal medicine so much that I could not choose just one.
Please describe a typical day in your practice.
Well, that depends on the day. Most days, I am either staffing resident physicians on the internal medicine inpatient service/primary care clinics or I am seeing patients independently in a multispecialty clinic. Outside of my clinical duties, I have several administrative lead positions and serve on both medical school and hospital committees.
What are some of your special interests professionally?
I have a passion for primary prevention in the primary setting. I also enjoy mentoring medical students and resident physicians.
What are your interests and hobbies outside of medicine?
I love spending time with my family and friends. When not doing that, I am a self-proclaimed reality TV junkie and five star–rated luxury goods reseller.
What advice would you like to share with medical students or what do you wish someone would have told you while you were in medical school?
Be brave! The pursuit of medicine is daunting. In this journey, we are required to make sacrifices but sometimes we lose too much of ourselves. I encourage students to be brave enough to take care of themselves and not feel guilty about doing things that bring them joy.
Which living person do you most admire?
My mother. She is the embodiment of strength and selflessness. She is the perfect balance of lovingly guiding her children while supporting their dreams and desires (even if she does not always agree). Now that I am a mother, I realize how hard being a Mom truly is and it makes me admire and cherish her even more.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Nothing! Of course, no one is perfect, and neither am I; and there are idiosyncrasies about myself that I could do without. But my unique combination of strengths and flaws is what makes me who I am—without them I would be someone else. The world needs me just as I am!
Who is your hero of fiction?
Hercule Poirot. I am a lover of all things Agatha Christie; her series featuring detective Hercule Poirot is my favorite, and he is my favorite character. I envy his ability to pick up on minute details that seem insignificant and use them to piece together the mysteries. It reminds me of the practice of medicine: paying attention to the details of patients' stories helps physicians piece together their illnesses.
What is your motto?
"The Serenity Prayer." I speak its words nearly every day. Its simple message reminds me that there are things in medicine and life that happen that are beyond our control. However, it reminds me to be introspective and evaluate changes that I can make to better myself/my response to those situations.
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