Dr. Molly Sullivan’s passion for subspecialty care access has guided many of her career decisions since medical school. After completing residency and, subsequently, an Epilepsy Fellowship here at Vanderbilt, she plans to offer her skill set in a region that otherwise would not have access. As a rare native of Nashville, Dr. Sullivan spends her free time traveling, training for half-marathons and triathlons, and playing piano.
Tell us about your background and how your path led to Vanderbilt.
I’m originally from Nashville, and I went to University of Tennessee in Knoxville for undergrad. I went to University of Kentucky in Lexington for medical school because they have the Rural Physician Leadership Program. Working for underserved communities is something that I’m really passionate about. I came back to Vanderbilt on interview day. I loved the residency program and the people I met that day, as well as the culture they supported. I was happy to come back to Nashville in order to be closer to family and friends.
What piqued your interest in neurology?
Neurology is something I was always interested in and drawn to. In medical school, as I explored different specialities, I never found anything I enjoyed more than neurology. It was really a process of elimination.
I appreciate the thought process of neurology. There’s a big emphasis on localization, and running through a list of differential diagnoses based on that. I appreciate how in depth we can go in thinking about underlying causes, taking different pieces from the patient’s history and physical exam and putting them together. In many ways it is similar to solving a puzzle.
During my third year rotations in medical school, we went to a small town named Morehead, KY, and worked at a small community hospital. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do our neurology rotation there because there wasn’t a neurologist on staff at the time. Instead, we went to Richmond, KY for the neurology rotation. Going out of the city by even an hour, we started to run into problems regarding the lack of specialty care in those areas. I see here at Vanderbilt how large of a catchment area we have and how so many patients come from so far just to get subspecialty care. I would like to fill that void and work in a rural area like I saw in medical school, so that burden isn’t placed on patients.
What are some moments from residency that really stand out as learning moments? Have there been any surprises along the way?
There are some big formative moments, but a lot of residency is the small details in your day to day that you start to pick up and build upon over time. It’s such a slow process that you don’t see how much you’ve grown until you look back later. It catches you by surprise how much you’ve changed and grown, both in skill and in confidence.
Who have been some of the most influential mentors along the way?
Rather than one single person, it has been the accumulation of experiences with everyone I’ve worked with and their dedication and commitment. I’ve learned from each person in the different subspecialties and built a comprehensive knowledge base.
On a personal level, my fiancé has been a huge support for me. I’m not sure how I would have made it through residency without him! Doing things like cooking dinner or making sure my scrubs get into the dryer has been such a help during this time.
What are your plans after residency?
I was just accepted to the Epilepsy fellowship here at Vanderbilt. After that, I would like to do my part in increasing accessibility to subspecialty care. There are scattered neurologists [in rural areas], but even fewer who have had extensive training in a particular subspeciality. For example, a lot of patients are candidates for surgical intervention for epilepsy, but they may never have that opportunity. To be able to offer that skill subset in an area where people may not have access otherwise is really important to me.
This is especially true with epilepsy, in which we put restrictions on people (for example, driving restrictions) that have a significant impact on their lives and families. So if you can get someone’s seizures under control, you can really improve someone’s quality of life.
How do you like to spend your free time? Do you have any favorite Nashville restaurants or venues?
I’ve moved back to Nolensville (where I’m originally from), so I have lots of recommendations there. Pork Belly is a great restaurant—they have a potato crusted salmon that is fantastic. Mill Creek Brewing has a great selection of IPAs. Martin’s BBQ is originally from Nolensville too. Their white sauce is a “go-to.”
Outside of work, I definitely like to take advantage of vacation time. I try to plan big trips. For example, I went to Vietnam and Thailand earlier this spring.
I ran a half-marathon last fall, and did a triathlon just the other week. I hope to continue training and do another one soon. I also took piano lessons throughout high school, and I started taking lessons again during PGY-2. I still work with my same piano teacher from high school.
What helps you reset and recharge after a stressful call shift?
Having other things I’m pursuing outside of work is really important to me (for example, athletic training, piano, etc). I indulge in reality TV, like Selling Sunset or Love is Blind—something where I don’t have to think!
