Dr. Archita Patel is an emergency medicine physician at AdventHealth Lake Nona and a Nonahood resident. Read our interview with her below!
Nonahood News: What is your job?
Dr. Archita Patel: I am an emergency medicine physician. I work in the emergency department (ED). I see anybody that presents at the ED and evaluate them. From there, I determine the next steps that need to be taken.
NHN: Do you have a day-to-day schedule?
AP: Not really. With emergency medicine, my shifts are assigned. So it’s not a regular schedule. From a given week, I could work two to three … to five shifts. You never know what kind of patients you’re going to get or what [Emergency Medical Services] is going to bring through the door.
NHN: Do you enjoy having an atypical schedule? Or would you prefer a consistent schedule?
AP: No, I enjoy not knowing what’s coming next. I do like that. It’s fast-paced. There’s an unpredictable nature.
NHN: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
AP: Not knowing what you’re going to be walking into each day. You don’t know how many patients are going to be in the waiting room and the department itself, what kind of severity of the symptoms they’ll have. It’s the unknown. That’s the challenge, but it’s also why I chose the specialty.
NHN: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
AP: You tend to develop a relationship, whether it’s with the patients or their families. And while it’s for a short time, during their stay at the emergency department, you form that bond. You also get to work with an amazing team that includes the nursing staff, the technicians, the different specialists. You get to build relationships with everybody you work with.
NHN: What got you interested in doing your current job in this area?
AP: I’ve always known I wanted to go into medicine. I chose emergency medicine after doing my rotations in medical school. Now, in terms of why I chose Lake Nona, I always knew I was going to work in the Orlando area. I met my husband, who is from Orlando, and I knew I was going to come back to Orlando. We chose to purchase a home in Lake Nona, and when my employer found out that I was settling down in Lake Nona, they were able to find a position for me here to make the commute and everything easier on me.
NHN: Where are you from originally?
AP: I grew up in Lakeland. I moved to Lakeland from New Jersey when I was really young. I left Lakeland for school and training and residency. I was able to come back to Florida after I was ready to settle down.
NHN: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
AP: I’ll probably be right here. I’m hoping to stay at my current job. And we found our dream home. So, I’m pretty sure I will be right here in five years. I’m also hoping to add a few kids to our family.
NHN: Do you have any hobbies, collections or interests?
AP: I recently graduated residency. While you’re in school, you don’t really have time to focus on your hobbies as much, but my husband and I had started traveling before the pandemic hit. I haven’t been to too many places, but we did go to Seattle and [did] a few hikes there. We’ve mostly just traveled domestically. My next place would be Europe. We also enjoy outdoor activities. We like to go hiking, biking. We have our seven-year-old dog, so we love going to parks with her. I try to also get in my quiet time as much as possible.
NHN: When did you move to Lake Nona?
AP: Last year, September.
NHN: What is your favorite thing about Lake Nona?
AP: When we were first checking out the area, we visited often to see the restaurants, the farmers’ market in the Town Center on Saturdays. With the pandemic, it’s been a little different. I do like how family-oriented the area is. There are a lot of great restaurants and a lot happening in Lake Nona. I’m excited to explore it. Also, before we bought our home, we met a few of our neighbors. Everyone is really sweet and friendly.
NHN: What would you say to anyone who is considering a move to Lake Nona?
AP: I would say it’s something that they should do. I think the best thing to do is just explore the area, and they’ll get to see for themselves how great it is. Especially with all the new fitness facilities that are going up and lots of outdoor activities. Lake Nona is very family-friendly. And while we don’t have any kids right now, the hope is to add a few kids. Lake Nona is a perfect place for a child to grow up.
Photos Courtesy of Dr. Archita Patel
