Ann A. Kurian, M.D., breast surgeon, is now seeing patients at Texas Breast Specialists—Denton. Dr. Kurian discusses the moment that touched her most as a physician and the importance of developing a multidisciplinary plan for her patients.
What moment has touched you most as a medical professional?
I will always remember meeting my first early onset breast cancer patient during my internship. She was very close to my age and gracefully dealt with everything that came her way. From testing and diagnostic imaging to surgery and chemotherapy, she was so strong. Despite studying and learning about hereditary and early onset breast cancer, seeing it in real life was different. This experience, in addition to many others, reminds me to always keep in touch with the humanistic side of medicine.
How do you collaborate with other specialists and healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive cancer care?
I strive to have open lines of communication with my colleagues and patients. It is important to develop a multidisciplinary plan, and I create a roadmap at each patient’s initial visit that provides the basics of what they can expect from surgery to survivorship. I continue to see my patients after surgery and recovery for surveillance to ensure they are receiving the necessary care from other specialists on their care team.
What do you wish more people knew about breast health and/or breast cancer?
Mammograms save lives. It is important that every woman has access to and is informed about the need for screenings at the appropriate age and interval. A common sentiment upon diagnosis is, "Why me? No one in my family had breast cancer." Any woman can be affected, whether or not it runs in the family or if any risk factors are present. A physician or a breast specialist can help determine an individualized plan based on a patient’s risk level.
What is your morning routine?
I set the timer on my coffee machine before I go to bed. I love to wake up to the smell of a freshly brewed pot and get up a few minutes early to sit and enjoy it in a quiet house. Then I get myself ready, review my daily clinic or surgery schedule, get my son ready for school, and take off to start the day.
What is your hidden talent?
My hidden talent is packing! I discovered it in college when I somehow fit all the contents of my friend's and my own dorm rooms into one car and we drove home for the summer. Through the course of my education and training, I have moved several times and have gotten it down to a science.
If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life what would it be?
I would probably choose burgers or fish tacos if I could only have one meal every day for the rest of my life.