Paul Dixon

Where are you now?
Currently a family medicine hospitalist at a semi-rural hospital associated with the University of Minnesota. I will be doing a 1 year palliative care fellowship starting in July.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I oversee the care of hospitalized patients admitted to our hospital- usually 12-15 per day. I determine diagnosis and treatment plans for each patient and discuss with our interdisciplinary team (SW, PT, RN, RD, pharmD, chaplain) each morning so they can implement those plans. We are a small hospital so I also take care of ICU patients, including intubated patients which has been an interesting experience during the pandemic. I do work part time (0.75) so I have more time with our three children. I am hoping to do more end of life care so I am going back for a palliative care and hospice fellowship this summer.

How did your experience at Sewanee impact your career trajectory?

A liberal arts education is a wonderful preparation for medicine.

What advice would you give to someone who would like to go to the field you’re in?
Don't be afraid to be different - there's a lot of people applying to health careers with "pre-med" majors but by taking a wide variety of classes at Sewanee you will be a much more interesting applicant.