A Career Built with AAAAI

Eugenia L. Hahn, MD, FAAAAI, reflects on how AAAAI supported her at every stage of her career

Eugenia L. Hahn, MD, FAAAAI

The first time Eugenia L. Hahn, MD, FAAAAI, truly interacted with the allergy/immunology (A/I) specialty, she was in medical school and attended the AAAAI Annual Meeting. “I recall really enjoying the collegiality,” she said. “I had gone to other national meetings for other specialties, but they didn’t bring about the same feeling.”

Early in her residency, when she began thinking about the topics she enjoyed, she realized that A/I addressed the issues she was most interested in as a practitioner. “Even during residency before I had chosen a specialty, I referred to the AAAAI website as a resource for information,” Dr. Hahn said. “The medication guide was handy and I used it to become familiar with the medications used in the specialty. It was also useful to share with co-residents.”

Her residency program was not affiliated with a fellowship program. Continued access to the AAAAI website helped her stay connected with the specialty. “I also used the website to find out about different programs so I could attend meetings to deepen my exposure,” she said.

Dr. Hahn explained how within her first month of A/I fellowship, she was encouraged to apply for membership. “We saw our attendings being active in different aspects of the AAAAI,” she said. “Sometimes we would be chatting after our didactic fellowship session, and the discussion would turn to AAAAI committee work. We were clearly encouraged to participate in the AAAAI as fellows-in-training (FIT).”

After completing her A/I fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Hahn discovered another invaluable AAAAI resource. “I attended the Practice Management Workshop which was so helpful at the start of my career,” she said. “I encourage everyone who is a senior fellow to attend because there’s a lot of great information and resources there. The workshop helps you understand the specialty and how to deliver care in the current healthcare environment.”

Dr. Hahn also expressed how important it was for her to maintain her AAAAI membership as she transitioned from a FIT to a full member. “Maintaining ties to the AAAAI was so important because they have a lot to offer for every stage of an allergist/immunologist’s career.”

“I see the AAAAI as my professional home. I encourage everyone early in their careers to maintain their membership or join, because you don’t know what sort of resources you’re going to want (such as professional development opportunities or journal access) until you need them.”

Eugenia L. Hahn, MD, FAAAAI

Though her career is well-established at this point, Dr. Hahn still turns to the AAAAI when she faces new challenges. “Healthcare continues to change,” she explained. “It can change unexpectedly and quickly. For example, a challenge I am currently facing is my patients having access to care, which includes access to treatment options. I can have conversations about challenges like this, whether it's at committee meetings or at the AAAAI Annual Meeting, and we can all share solutions that have worked. I continue to rely on the AAAAI community to this day.”

After years of working in the field, Dr. Hahn can’t recommend the specialty enough. “It’s such an exciting time for A/I. There’s a lot of treatments that are coming. If I could give one piece of advice to anyone entering the field, it would be to continue to learn and find your key resources, whether they’re from the AAAAI, your institution or another organization. As you get busier, you’ll always know where to turn for the help you need when you face a new challenge in your career.”