#SoCaltech: Prakriti Gaba

"As COVID-19 spread in NYC, we felt the effect of the pandemic in our hospital. Patients were flooding into the ER. Some were really young, in their 20s, without comorbidities, and everyone was extremely sick. Many patients were intubated as soon as they arrived. All residents, including myself, were working long hours at least six days per week to help patients afflicted with the virus. It was exhausting, but everyone pushed through. The hardest part of all of this was having end-of-life discussions with patients’ family members. It was absolutely heartbreaking. No part of me was ready to convey that a loved one can’t talk, hug, or say goodbye to their father, grandmother, or son, or that their loved one would have to be away from family during their final moments. What has been the most surprising and also the most rewarding aspect of this whole experience is being a part of the immense camaraderie among doctors and nurses from all specialties (orthopedics, dermatology, ENT, and many more) working tirelessly together to tackle this pandemic. It is absolutely remarkable how everyone has teamed up to fight this fight."

Prakriti Gaba (BS '13), an internal medicine resident at Columbia University Medical Center, has been on the front lines caring for patients with COVID-19 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital since the start of the pandemic. In July, Gaba will begin a cardiology fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.