Energized at Work: Episode 18 with Urologist Dr. Mohit Khera

I so enjoyed speaking with Dr. Mohit Khera, who is Professor of Urology and Chair of the Department at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is also Director of the Laboratory for Andrology Research. Dr. Khera is very busy, but one of the things that struck me about our conversation is how much he enjoys the different areas of his work: the clinical care, basic science and clinical research, education of students, residents, and fellows, and administration. He describes Urology as "the most amazing field", and he feels that Urologists are "the happiest surgeons." He is able to make diagnoses and then perform procedures to address those diagnoses, and is able to impact his patients' quality of life in significant ways.  When I asked him how he is able to accomplish so much without burning out, there were several areas that he pointed to. The first was the importance of collaboration. He gives much credit to his clinical and research teams, and talks about the fact that he spends a lot of time choosing new members of his team, because they become part of his family. He also says that his background as an MBA analyst has helped. His work week is very structured, and he explains that to be successful, he pays attention to not only clinical care, but also areas such as throughput, finance, and other areas. Dr. Khera talks about how much he loves the challenge and variety in his work week, which is why he’s embraced these different facets of urology. He also describes the great satisfaction he derives from the clinical area of men’s health, because he is giving patients their quality of life back. I was also struck by how he brings a holistic approach to the practice of Urology, speaking to patients about the importance of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management.  As he puts it, men’s health is a great gateway to overall health.  For students interested in Urology, he also provides some great advice on how to position yourself for success.More about Dr. Khera