Where Are They Now?

The Department of Anesthesiology has always had such wonderful people who have contributed to make it what it is today. We would like to know what some of our colleagues and friends who have moved on are doing now and how UMMC played a role in their careers and lives. If would like to be featured in future articles of the newsletter, please e-mail Sara Robertson at smbrobertson@umc.edu. We would love to hear from you!

Jordan Brice, M.D.
Residency Class of 2018

Tell us about what you have been doing since you graduated from the residency program. What does your anesthesia practice look like? How did UMMC prepare you for your current career?
Upon graduation my wife Raechel and my daughter Austin and I moved back to my hometown of Shreveport, LA where I joined a community hospital private practice, and I have been there the last 6 years. Since moving back, we have had my son Brooks. I have been very blessed with my practice, as we cover a busy hospital and surgery center. We do a good mixture of all kinds of cases, but, no hearts, no transplants and only healthy kids, which makes for a relatively stress free environment. UMMC did a wonderful job preparing me for my current job. You will see it all during your 4 years at UMMC and that will prepare you for whatever you may come across in your career.

What did you enjoy most about being a resident in this program?

Without question, the people. We made some lifelong friends during our time there. From co residents to attendings, to Big John and Eric in the heart room, the memories and the friendships made those 4 years I will always be thankful for.

Close 2nd, the food in the Jackson area. Top tier. Still think about it all the time.

If you could give any advice to our current trainees, what would it be?
Live in and enjoy the season of life you are currently in. As physicians, we are often goal oriented people, always focused on the next step and while that is important don't do it at the expense of missing all the wonderful opportunities you currently have. It can be an easy trap to fall into of constantly looking forward to the future and think, once I match into fellowship life will be less stressful, or once I graduate and make more money life will be easier. You are all going to go on and graduate, match into fellowship and become a partner in your practice or whatever your ultimate goal is. Make sure you are enjoying life today, because one day you are going to look back and realize the phase of life you are currently in was a great one too.

Jonathan Kombrinck, M.D.
Residency Class of 2011

Tell us about what you have been doing since you graduated from the residency program. What does your anesthesia practice look like? How did UMMC prepare you for your current career?
Since graduation from UMMC Class of 2011 Anesthesiology I completed a fellowship in Regional & Acute Pain at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I stayed on as assistant Professor focusing on orthopedics, Regional/Acute pain, Neuroanesthesia and Advanced Airways. I stayed for 3.5 years at UNC then moved to a private practice in Redding, CA. Amazing atmosphere (22 MD-only Anesthesiology group) at a Level 2 trauma center. Worked there, teaching ER & family residents, and many students surprisingly at a non-academic practice for about 6 years. I had 2 children in the meantime.

UMMC prepared me impeccably for the real world work force in anesthesiology. Efficiency is something I seem to have brought from UMMC, that others don't see as important. Even fresh out of residency at UNC they nicknamed me "private practice" due to my focus on efficiency. I'm also consistently asked to do almost all of the teaching/academic activities in all of the private practice departments I've worked in. I'm "afraid" of nothing from an anesthesiology provider standpoint, not as a cowboy, but with a knowledgeable stable plan for each of my difficult cases. UMMC patient population & attendings were phenomenal training.

What did you enjoy most about being a resident in this program?
I can't say it was the most "enjoyable" experience. More like bootcamp. So I guess I could say I enjoyed the atmosphere of getting work done, safely, and being thrown into the fire when necessary, and being "rescued" when necessary. I enjoyed the camaraderie of multiple residents from other departments, which had mutual respect for most of the various disciplines. I felt respected by peers and definitely at the end, by attendings.

If you could give any advice to our current trainees, what would it be?
To be the best resident you should avoid 2 things. Sloth & Unreliability. Work your butt off & show up on time and you'll reap rewards for YEARS by getting the best training possible in those short years.