Dr. John LeClaire moved from his hometown of Milwaukee for the first time to come to Vanderbilt for neurology residency–a big leap that has paid off in close friendships with his co-residents and supportive mentorship from faculty. He also met his now-fiancé at Vanderbilt, and the two enjoy walking their beagle, Tater, in local Nashville parks during their free time. Following residency, Dr. LeClaire plans to continue his training with a fellowship in neuro-critical care, in which he enjoys managing acute medical problems while walking alongside patients and their families during particularly difficult moments.
Tell us about your background and how your path led to medicine.
I grew up in Milwaukee, and lived there my whole life. I did my undergrad at Marquette, and then went to the Medical College of Wisconsin, also in Milwaukee. Despite always living close to home, I ended up matching for residency at the farthest place from home on my list!
Growing up I was drawn to medicine by the fact that it offered many opportunities to do things that I valued, such as leading teams, helping others in times of need, and working with people. I liked the possibility of getting to be an expert with a depth of knowledge about a subject, and then applying it to help people.
What prompted your interest in neurology?
I did some research during undergrad that gave me some exposure to areas of neurology. I liked that you could figure out the source of the problem just by using an exam–in other words, the localization. In neurology, the exam, but also the imaging and other testing are all very relevant, and the factors fit together. It was thought-provoking in that way. It’s also a field in which I saw a lot of growth happening; there is so much evolving right now. Finally, you get to help people a lot with your diagnoses.
What attracted you to Vanderbilt for residency?
I figured I would want to stay close to home, but I added Vanderbilt to my list at the last minute. During the interview [at Vanderbilt], I felt that the people there seemed very supportive. The faculty seemed very invested in the residents themselves, there seemed to be lots of good mentorship happening, and the residents got along with each other. This has all been very true for me.
One of my favorite stories from residency demonstrates this. During medical school, I drove a beater of a car held together with duct tape. I knew I needed a new car, so I worked a moving job to save up money before residency. I was able to buy this great all black, slick, fast car. Then on my first day of residency after a 12 hour shift, I got rear-ended on the way home and the car was totaled. It was the first time I had to deal with something like that away from home. My coresidents really stepped up to help me figure it out. Someone let me borrow a bike, I had help with groceries, etc.
What have been some highlights of residency so far?
I have relationships with my co-residents and attendings outside of work–we are friends. It’s cool to look at each other now that we are all doing what we set out to do.
I’ve also received such great mentorship from the faculty. It’s a group that cares about our growth, both personally and professionally. There’s a lot of life that happens during residency that you won’t even see coming. I myself have gotten engaged and lost a parent during residency. Vanderbilt is a place that is rigorous enough to teach me all the things I need to learn as a physician. But it’s also small enough to help me through some of the things life sent my way during this time.
For instance, I did an away rotation in neuro-critical care at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Lee and others helped push me to make that work out. There was a lot of background work that had to be done that took a lot of effort from a lot of people. I’m very thankful they were so willing to help me, especially because I’m now going there for fellowship next year.
Who have been some important mentors for you along the way? Have you had any particularly formative experiences that have made you grow as a physician?
A few people who have pushed me to grow in terms of my knowledge are [attendings] Matt Meriweather and Meryim Poursheykhi, and my research mentor Shawniqua Williams Roberson. In terms of experiences, the first few times being on call by yourself. You can feel yourself grow in terms of managing a stroke alert or other time-sensitive decisions and feeling comfortable in that.
You mentioned your next step is a neuro-critical care fellowship. Why have you been drawn to that specialty?
I was drawn to that because it involves fascinating management of acute things that are happening at once. There are several different aspects to manage, like blood pressure, traumatic injuries, etc. You get to experience immediate feedback of what you’re doing, and also help people in the most difficult moments of their life. For those patients who will get better, you get to see the results of that right away; and for those for whom that’s not a possibility, you can help them and their families through that and to go with grace. That’s really important to me.
How do you like to spend your free time? What are some of your favorite go-to spots in Nashville?
I got engaged during my time in Nashville. I met my fiancé, Whitney, who is a dietitian here at Vanderbilt. We have a beagle named Tater. We like to take him for walks at McCabe Park or Percy Warner. We like live music and trying new restaurants. Some of our go-to restaurants are Bringle’s Smoking Oasis and Sadie’s. My parents had a pizza restaurant growing up, so I have a soft spot for pizza. My favorite pizza spot here in Nashville is Smith and Lentz.
Whitney and I wind down by watching anything true crime across any of the streaming services. I also like lifting, running, and cheering on my favorite Milwaukee and Nashville sports teams.
Who or what inspires you?
Having a sense of purpose in what I do. I find meaning in the care I’m giving to patients. Some of that comes from faith, but also from seeing the impact it has on people’s lives. In the Neuro ICU, it’s being the one who runs into the fire and is able to help people. But there’s still space for that in any aspect of what we do–even in the clinic, where patients come to see you for relatively minor things, but the impact you can have on their quality of life is huge.
One of my favorite attendings is Dr. Peltier. A big takeaway I have from working with her is the hug she gives each patient at the end of a visit. It speaks to a level of rapport they’ve built, how deeply she values them, and how they value her in exchange. I hope to hold onto that and build it into my clinical practice and every encounter with a patient.
