There is little we admire more than a woman chasing her goals and making the world a better place. We reached out to our friend Dr. Rose Hegngi to see if she’d share a little on her journey from medical student to doctor. An extremely important part of this labor intensive process is eating well to fuel your long days of studying, rotations and charts. Rose graciously shared with us some of her snacks that helped fuel her work and got her to where she is today.

What Doctors Snack On

The transition from full time medical student to doctor and acting intern has been intense—working in the ER is as fast-paced as you can get! From trauma alerts to critically ill patients who need multiple time-consuming procedures and interventions, there is often little time to sit down and eat a full meal when on shift. I’ve learned that the smartest thing to do is bring snacks to fuel you though the day. 

What I love most about being in the ER is you get to meet and treat so many different people and you have a short time to make a connection with someone on what is most likely one of their worst days; not being hangry goes a long way in these interactions. I like to really focus on my patients, giving them my undivided time and energy, so eating well throughout the day proves important in giving them my all.

Protein is Key

I’m on my feet for prolonged periods of time, running from room to room and patient to patient. It never hurts to enjoy a little plant based protein mid-shift. Peanut Butter is a staple for me. I throw some peanut butter on an apple, banana or on a cracker and on I move! I’m a crunchy PB gal, but won’t discriminate!

Fun & Clean Snacks Don't Hurt!

Popcorn is another fun snack I enjoy while working. It’s good fiber, clean and fun to munch on while I update my charts and patient information. Sometimes it’s the perfect quick pick-me-up!

I don’t have much time to prep snacks while at work, but when I’m home I always set some time aside to pre-slice, dice & prep my favorite fruits and veggies. Pomegranate has become one of my favorite fruits! I enjoy eating the juicy seeds on their own or as a topping with my yogurt.

Serious Love for Emmy's

Lastly, I love Emmy’s Coconut Cookies because they're a bite-sized, fit-in-your pocket burst of energy. They are super clean treats that I rely on and I wholeheartedly love the ingredients. On days that I’m off and feeling a bit more indulgent, I sometimes dip them in melted PB or chocolate for a treat. Depending on the day, either the Dark Cacao or Lemon Ginger ones are my favorite but honestly it’s hard to choose just one!