Q&A with Miranda Bradley, MD (she/her), assistant professor of emergency medicine, Division of Emergency Ultrasound
Hometown: Laurel, Montana
Educational background: I attended the University of Montana for my bachelor’s degree in psychology. After college, I worked at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula in various roles: phlebotomist, patient access representative, ECG and ED technician. I then obtained my Doctor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and subsequently completed my emergency medicine residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. After residency, I completed an Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Fellowship here at the UW Department of Emergency Medicine last year before joining the ultrasound division as faculty.
Do you have an area of clinical interest, and how did you get into it? Ultrasound! I developed an interest in point-of-care ultrasound early on in residency as I quickly recognized its utility in optimizing patient care and my own decision making abilities. I am so happy to be continuing to learn from the amazing ultrasound group here at UW–Madison, while also helping to run the intern ultrasound rotation!
Additionally, I have always been drawn to global health experiences and have been so lucky to been invited on a recent health care service experience in Guatemala, supported by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. I look forward to future travel with the Global Health program through UW and sharing medical knowledge with UW learners, as well as clinical learners abroad!
What attracted you to UW–Madison? Madison is such a great community, and the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics are an amazing environment in which to learn and work. Everyone is so nice and eager to help and include you here!
Do you feel your work relates to the Wisconsin Idea — that our efforts should influence people’s health and well-being beyond the care they receive in our emergency departments? If so, please describe how. It is so imperative that we as emergency medicine clinicians work to advance the care for our patients, not only within the walls of the emergency department, but also to connect them to various services like Primary Care, Social Work, Physical Therapists, Specialty Services. So many of our health care colleagues can support and assist our shared patients in ways beyond the emergency department. We have the opportunity to provide valuable connections and resources to those in need.
What do you hope trainees will learn from you and your work? How easy and helpful point-of-care ultrasound can be when making decisions in the emergency department.
My first job: Front Desk/smoothie maker/closer at The Locomotion Fitness Center in Laurel, MT!
My most unusual job: My mom briefly forced me to “work for tips” shoveling horse manure for a local tourism company that provided scenic horseback rides on the trails around Cody, WY. It’s the only time I’ve ever worn cowgirl boots… and the job was not a good fit nor a lucrative endeavor.
What are your favorite things to do in the Greater Madison area? I love the summer festivals, concerts and just overall enjoying spending time outdoors. My partner and I are also HUGE Vitense mini golf fans!
My hobbies and other interests outside of work: Running, biking, watching comedy shows, Peloton, mini golf
If you could have dinner with one person (passed, alive or fictional), who and at where would you make reservations? This is hard! Lin Manuel Miranda is such an amazing human. I am in awe of really creative people, and we could go to The Ivory Room so he could duel on a piano.