N E U R O S U R G E R Y
R E S I D E N T
many surgical residents seemed lonely. Now a sixthyear Neurosurgery resident at Barrow, Ruth smiles when she thinks of those early concerns —especially the last one. Barrow residents may have been described as many things, but lonely has never been one of them. Originally an economics major, Dr. Bristol was turned on to the field of medicine when she took a genetics course to fulfill a general studies requirement. The course intrigued her, so she “threw caution to the wind” and changed her major to biology in pursuit of attending medical school. She was accepted to a handful of top-notch schools and chose Tulane University in New Orleans. Once she had made the decision to pursue surgery, she had to decide on a subspecialty. She made that decision the first day of her Neurosurgery rotation. “I observed the removal of a bifrontal meningioma and saw the patient’s brain pulsating and oozing,“ she says. “The next day, the patient was sitting up in bed complaining that he didn’t have any syrup for his pancakes. It was amazing to me.” Dr. Bristol’s first experience with Barrow occurred during medical school, when she completed a monthlong rotation here under chief residents Paul Detwiler, MD, and Randall Porter, MD. “I never thought I would match here, but I guess I made a good impression.” Not only did she make a good impression on Barrow, but Barrow made a remarkable impression on her.
The Road to Barrow
26
B A R R O W
As an only child, she considered her parents, who spend winters in Arizona, when applying to residency programs. While the location was a plus, Barrow offered a laundry list of attractions—a huge and diverse surgical case load, an opportunity to gain extensive operative experience, the autonomy of the residents and a camaraderie she hadn’t seen anywhere else. In neurosurgery circles, Barrow’s residency program is as well known for its off-campus activities as it is for its academic and clinical expertise. Among these activities are frequent volleyball games and meals at Dr. Robert Spetzler’s home, weekly mountain bike rides, and annual events such as the Rim-to-Rim Hike, the Hike from Hell and the Barrow Olympics. The friendly competition and conversation help form relationships that are more familial than collegial. It was through this Barrow family that Dr. Bristol met her husband, fellow Barrow neurosurgeon Felipe Albuquerque, MD. When the couple married in November 2003, every neurosurgeon—residents and attendings—came to the wedding. Dr. Bristol believes the amount of respect and independence the residents are given—a level that she believes is unparalleled in other residency programs— further adds to the sense of camaraderie at Barrow. “As residents, we have a huge amount of autonomy,” she says. “The attendings trust you to know your own proficiency level, and they know that you’ll call them once you reach your limit.”
A Match Made at Barrow