Mikahla Gay, MD

I am originally from a small town outside of Chattanooga, where I grew up with my seven siblings before moving to Atlanta for college and then to Miami for medical school. I’m a conglomeration of all three places—smoking BBQ when I can, collecting retro Jordans, running on Cuban coffee and cheering on the Tennessee Vols, Atlanta Braves and Miami Heat. During medical school, I met my other half, and we were thrilled to couples-match somewhere as incredible as Vanderbilt. Growing up in Tennessee, I always joked that you only went to Vandy if you were really smart or really sick, so it feels like a dream come true to return home and serve the state that shaped me. What truly sealed it for me, though, was the people. The culture here is genuinely uplifting and fun, and my co-residents from anesthesia and other programs somehow became my family overnight. Outside the hospital, you can find me snuggling with my incredibly unathletic Yorkipoohuahua, Molly; watching sports or playing pickleball with Jose; cooking whatever viral recipe I’m obsessed with that week; or grabbing a drink and a bite to eat with my co-residents.