Kayla K. Sheehan, M.D., M.S.

Hello! I grew up in a small town north of Sacramento, and went to UC Berkeley for my undergraduate education, where I double majored in Integrative Biology and Music. After that, I worked as a pain researcher and lab manager at UCSF for several years. I later attended Georgetown University for my Masters in Physiology, which is where I met my partner, Ken. He's a native Michigander, and I fell in love with the state the first time he brought me out here. I went to California Northstate University for medical school, but after spending a summer doing research in palliative medicine at U-M, knew I had to come back. I am ecstatic to be continuing my training here. 
   
Though I always knew I wanted to be a physician, my experiences as a hospice volunteer and bedside singer re-contextualized the way I look at life, death, and healing. I've also learned that many people who work in healthcare are uncomfortable with death and dying, which leads to sub-optimal care for people who are critically and terminally ill. I have made it my personal mission to increase access to palliative and hospice education for medical students and residents. As family physicians, we have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in our patients' lives, no matter what stage of life they may be in.
   
When I'm not talking to people about their mortality, I'm hiking, running, or walking outside with my Australian Shepherd, Posey. I love board games, am assimilating to Midwestern culture by learning cribbage and euchre, and I'm a big baseball fan (Go Giants!). Find me on Twitter @kksheehan.