EPISODE 22: CAROLYN ROBB

DECember 4, 2024

INTERVIEW BY PRIYANKA GERA

Edited by Amar Gopal

Photo by Rivka Bella Lefkowitz

Where’d you grow up?

Okay, so I grew up in upstate/Western New York, in a small town called Honeoye Falls. It's right outside of Rochester, New York.

If anyone was to visit the area, what’s one thing they should know about it, or one thing they should do there?

Oh, good question. So, it depends on the time of year. We have a really nice change of seasons, which I love. But I would say, if you're going in the fall, you can't go wrong by visiting an apple farm—picking some apples and getting some cider. That's what I'm planning to do when I go home in a little bit.

Also, Rochester is known for the Garbage Plate. I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but a lot of people think it sounds gross. It's a plate that has home fries, mac salad, and then you can put a cheeseburger and a hot dog on top. Some people also put hot sauce on top. It sounds like a lot, but it's really good. It kind of doesn't look that great in pictures, but if you're ever in Rochester, I highly recommend it.

There's also a lot of nice state parks to hike in, and it's beautiful in the summer

Are you going to be the first doctor in the family?

I am! Yes, it's very exciting. My mom's dad was a dentist, but that's the only other healthcare-adjacent field. So yes, I'm the first doctor.

Who else is in your family?

It's my mom, my dad, my sister, and me, along with our golden retriever, Callie. She was a COVID puppy, so they got her in 2020. My mom was working from home at the time, so she got her, and Callie is almost four now

How is it, like, raising a puppy? What's that been like? 

Luckily, my mom did a lot of that during COVID. We had a puppy growing up as well, but she passed away around that same time. She was a lot more crazy, just because my sister and I were little, so she wasn't as well trained. But Callie is beautifully trained.

She's actually now a therapy dog, so they can bring her into hospitals, classrooms, and places like that. I think my mom had a lot of downtime, especially now that she's an empty nester. So this dog is very spoiled.

I've seen golden retrievers that come into the WMC sometimes as therapy dogs, and I'm like, this is exactly what Callie is now! So yes, she is a very good girl.

If you weren't a doctor, what do you think your profession would be?

It’s honestly hard to think of what else I would do! I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was pretty young. When I was little, I loved dressing up and pretending to be a pop star. Honestly, I was obsessed with Hannah Montana, and Taylor Swift is my everything. I would sing all the time, but I never really pursued music growing up—I was more of an athlete kid. Still, I always regret not pursuing music and singing more. I think it would have been so much fun. 

In an alternate universe, I would have loved to do something like theater or acting, but definitely something with singing. That would have been so fun. Obviously, it's very different from medicine. I think I was always a little bit too shy. The thought of singing a solo in chorus when I was little made me too nervous. I don't know if I could have handled the spotlight like that, but I think I would have loved it in another life.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?

I feel like it would be anything Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift, but there are also some good classics.Recently, I did 'Breakaway' by Kelly Clarkson

You mentioned Taylor Swift, would you consider yourself a Swiftie?

Yes!

What are your thoughts on her last album?

I'm so glad you brought this up. I absolutely love the last album—it might be one of my favorites. I've heard differing takes on it, but for me, I think it's like the perfect amalgamation of all of her prior albums. Each song reminds me of a different one of her earlier albums—like, 'oh, this reminds me of this album, this reminds me of that one.' But I also think the lyrics really have a unique meaning. And I'm very passionate about this, as you can probably tell! People who don’t know her work might just think it's fun pop songs, but a lot of it is lyrical genius, in my opinion. I think you could probably study this album in English classes just because of all the different topics she touches on. 

A theme I really like is how she's perceived by the public and how being so famous can really be, sometimes. Not all of the songs are just about relationships, even though that’s the common narrative. My best friend from high school and I, we go back and forth voice memoing each other, like we did when the album first came out. We talk about the different songs and everything—it's really fun!

Have you had a chance to go to any of her concerts yet?

Yes, so actually, growing up in upstate New York, she never came to any cities near me, so I had never been to a concert before. But I actually went to the Eras tour last spring. My dad surprised my mom, my sister, and me with tickets, which was so nice. I grew up listening to Taylor Swift with my mom and sister, and my mom always says it reminds her of raising my sister and me, so it was really special to go with them. And yeah, I would love to go again, honestly, because now she's added the Tortured Poets Department. I keep telling my mom, 'I'm like, Toronto is honestly the closest city to where I grew up where she plays.' So, we keep checking the prices, but they're just insane, so I don’t know if it’s going to work out. I saw her once, though, and I’m lucky enough that I got to see her once.

If you had to describe yourself when you were younger, in one word what would you say?

Energetic! I got involved in sports as a little kid just because my parents were like, 'We need her to get her energy out.' They would send me to the yard to just run around. So yeah, definitely a lot of energy—a high-energy kid.

What's one way you deal with feedback and constructive criticism?

That's a good question, especially because I just had an OSCE today. I really take things to heart, so sometimes it's easy to be very self-critical. When I get feedback, I tend to really ruminate on it for a while. But it's always good to reflect and consider that maybe you're doing something with good intentions, but it might not come across that way. So I think sitting with things for a little while and thinking them over is helpful. The initial reaction might be to be self-critical, but once you think it through more, you realize they're probably just trying to look out for your best interest.

What's one piece of advice that you'd say has really stuck with you?I feel like I've gotten a lot of great advice throughout my rotations so far. For example, when it comes to picking a specialty, the one piece of advice that's really stuck with me came from a doctor I worked with in surgery. They said, 'Pay attention to how people in that specialty—really, in any walk of life—feel on a day-to-day basis. Are they happy with what they're doing? How do they treat each other? How do they interact with one another?'

I know we can get caught up in interesting pathologies or patient cases, but it really comes down to whether the people in that field are happy and if you can see yourself fitting in with them. So that's something I've been trying to focus on. It's kind of deeper advice, but it’s about thinking about where you fit in best

Are you currently leaning towards a specific specialty?

I'm very interested in OB/GYN. I haven't had my rotation yet, but I'm really passionate about women's health. I had my surgery rotation, and I loved it a lot more than I thought I would, which was great because that was the part I was worried about with OB/GYN. I was unsure if I would enjoy the surgical aspect, but I actually do. I know I really want a longitudinal care relationship with patients, but I also love the hands-on aspect of surgery and procedures, and the need to think on your feet. So, I'm really excited for that rotation.

Where do you think you see yourself in 15 years, either professionally or personally?

So, in 15 years, I’ll be—oh my gosh—about 40. I see myself probably living back upstate near my family in the Rochester area, married, hopefully with a couple of kids, and working as an OB/GYN. Something that this rotation showed me is that I think I want to teach med students, so I’d love to work in a teaching hospital. If I’m thinking about returning to upstate New York near home, that would probably be Rochester. I imagine spending some days in the hospital, some days in clinic, teaching and mentoring students, while also balancing family life with kids of my own. Wow, it’s crazy to think about.

And hopefully, Taylor Swift will go on tour again, and I’ll get to see her again!

If someone wrote a book about you, what would be the book’s title?

The first thing that came to my mind, which is kind of silly, is probably 'Chaos with Caro.' A lot of my close friends call me Caro, and while my life isn’t always chaotic, sometimes it feels like it could be.

Like I mentioned, I was very energetic as a kid. Even though I have calmed down a bit since then, I still like to stay high energy. I tend to be a very busy person, always involved in things, whether it's school or friends and family. So, yeah, I think it could come across as a little chaotic. I think 'Chaos with Caro' could just be a fun idea—maybe like a book about my life? Each chapter could focus on a different part of my life, with all the craziness that comes with it.

Do you have a favorite guilty pleasure TV show?

I love all kinds of reality shows, especially reality dating shows, but I’m not really guilty about it. I'll go with The Bachelor. I’ve been a long-time viewer since 2016, and even though it can get boring sometimes or feel like it’s gone downhill, I just always need to know what’s going on. I haven’t kept up with this season as much, just because of school, but all throughout med school, every time we had an exam, I’d just lay in bed after and catch up on episodes. Even if it’s gotten bad, I just can’t resist watching it. So, yeah, The Bachelor it is!

 Three foods you dislike?

I love this question because I’m so picky about food and textures. People always think it’s the weirdest thing, but I hate soup. I just can’t do it—the thought of solids in a liquid is so off-putting to me. Another texture I can’t handle is melty ice cream. It kind of goes along with the soup thing—I just can’t do it. I eat ice cream really fast because of it. Ice cream is one of my favorite foods, but if it’s melty, it’s the worst.

I’ll also throw in applesauce for the same reason—just the mushy texture. Oh, and oatmeal! I want so badly to love oatmeal, especially like overnight oats, because it seems like such a good, nutritious breakfast, but I just can’t get on board with it.

What's one thing you’ll never do again?

I want to say skydiving, but I think I might  do it again—it was definitely the scariest thing I’ve done. Honestly, I used to love roller coasters as a kid, but now, thinking about the ones that go super high and then drop, I’m just not into it anymore, so maybe that.

I used to be such a thrill-seeker and loved roller coasters and all that stuff. But now, I feel like such an old lady. I just get nauseous, and I get too scared. I can’t do it anymore.

When did you go skydiving?

I went skydiving in Australia. I studied abroad there during my junior year of college, and it was kind of a thing that a lot of people from my school did—skydiving in Australia. So, me and some classmates went together. I’ll say, the ride up in the small plane (or helicopter, I’m not really sure) was terrifying. But jumping out of the plane was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, and I definitely want to do it again, somewhere else beautiful.

However, I would never bungee jump. I think that’s terrifying, even though I know they’re similar. I think the bungee jump is scarier because you keep going up and down. A lot of people did that in Australia too, and I just thought, 'Not for me!'

Where did you go to college?

I went to Colgate, which is in Hamilton, New York—about an hour away from Syracuse. A lot of people study abroad there, and I think that’s possible because Colgate professors lead study groups and go with you. My program was a science-based study group, which many pre-med students also choose.

I was able to take my biochemistry class there. Colgate offers some unique study abroad programs, which was one of the reasons I wanted to go there. I knew I'd be able to study abroad while also fulfilling all my med school requirements.

What did you major in?

I double majored in Molecular Biology and Women’s Studies. Colgate is a liberal arts school, so it offers a lot of unique and interesting classes. One of my favorite courses was my freshman seminar called The Biology of Women. It was science-focused, taught by a biology professor, but also incorporated sociology and gender studies. I thought, 'This is cool, I want to take more classes like this!' I’ve always loved biology, so I knew I’d pursue something in that field.

Because it’s a liberal arts school, we were required to take courses in reading, writing, and history, which allowed me to align those requirements with a Women’s Studies major. Many of the courses were cross-listed, which was great.

This experience actually played a key role in sparking my interest in OB/GYN. Before college, I was interested in pediatrics, but during my studies, I realized I was passionate about women's health, the potential for advocacy, and the complexities of understanding the biology of women. It also made me more aware of how we treat transgender and non-binary patients, which further fueled my interest. This is also why I decided to pursue the MPH program—to continue this aspect of my education throughout med school.

The MPH I suppose  is a perfect segue into medical education for you in the future?

I never really thought about teaching before rotations. I always thought I would be predominantly outpatient-focused, not really involved with academia, maybe more at a community hospital. But now, I’m realizing that teaching could be really fun and a great way to give back. I’m really interested in public health, and I’d love to continue teaching about it. I think I would enjoy mentoring students and getting involved with research. I have a great mentor, Dr. Dandolu, who is an OB/GYN at Metropolitan and also an MD/MPH, and I would love to be like her one day.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Was it always a doctor, or was there something else?

Ever since I was in middle school, I wanted to be a doctor. My parents really loved my pediatrician growing up, and they would always talk about how great she was, which may have been their way of making my sister and I  less afraid of getting shots! Regardless, they spoke so highly of her, and I had a fantastic science teacher in middle school who really sparked my interest in biology. I loved human biology and thought, 'I want to be a doctor, just like my pediatrician.' She was such a great doctor, and I wanted to be just like her. For a while, I even thought about becoming a geneticist because I loved genetics, but I always knew I wanted to go into medicine—except, of course, when I was very little and dreamed of being a pop star!

Have you ever had a side-hustle, or considered having one?

Last year, I babysat throughout all of M2, and I really enjoyed it. It was so fun interacting with kids. I know this might sound a bit shameful, but I’d love to be some kind of content creator as a side hustle. It just seems like such a fun thing to do! I see people getting sponsorships with brands like Figs and receiving free medical products and talking about their med school experience, and I think that could be a cool side hustle.

What are your words of advice to the current M1’s?

I would say try to maintain a balanced life. It's important to study hard and do well, but it's equally important to stay connected to your life outside of school—whether that's through hobbies, breaks, or spending time with friends and family. This balance is a skill you'll carry with you throughout your career. Med school gets busier after M1, but you'll find strategies to manage your time more effectively and work smarter, not harder. Also, always remember why you're here. Not everyone gets into medical school, and not everyone has the opportunity to become a doctor. So even if you're studying something that doesn't excite you—like the musculoskeletal system for me—remember it's temporary. Soon, you'll be diving into the topics you're passionate about. Just keep your focus and remember to balance it all.

Contact Carolyn at crobb@student.nymc.edu.

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