December 2023
Karla Rebullar, FPMRS Fellow
Hey Karla! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions.
You've made a long trip from Canada to come to Nashville. How has the transition to Nashville been?
Honestly quite difficult at the beginning with all the paperwork and adjusting to a new (non-metric) system but everyone has been helpful and understanding!
How do you like living in Nashville? What surprised you most about life here?
I love the mild winter! I can't believe I'm still wearing shorts on my runs and it's already DECEMBER! Most surprising would have to be 1- there is no Chinatown here (I thought most major cities have them!), and 2- lots of people still drive damaged/beat up cars that clearly needs repair....
Congratulations! You have some cool life events coming up. Can you tell us more about them?
Haha thank you!!! Yes I recently got engaged so we have a wedding to plan, likely going to be in Vancouver, Canada but my fiancé still thinks Scotland should be on the list probably so he can golf....
So, first year is halfway done. Would you recommend a FPMRS fellowship to future urology residents? If so… why?
Is it already halfway done? Time flies! And yes -- absolutely, FPMRS fellowship (especially at Vandy) is highly recommended!! Reconstructive urology is awesome and lets you be creative during the case -- sometimes you don't know exactly what you'll have to do until you're in there! There is a good mix of cases from Interstim to open cystectomies and bladder augments. We also do a lot of urethroplasties and male cases as part of our fellowship at Vandy, so it's also partly GURS!!
Last but not least - any ideas about what you want to do after fellowship?
Great question haha. I'm currently job hunting and would ideally get a position back home in Canada -- there is a big need of reconstructive urologists up there but also will be nice to be closer to family! Wouldn't be opposed to a job in the US though if the right one comes along (and gives me a visa).
Rapid Fire! Name your favorite...
Surgical case? A tie between rectocele repair WITH perineorrhaphy (this is a mandatory part to be my favourite) and open simple cystectomy with conduit
Song or music genre for operating? 80's Rock or Taylor Swift, depending on the case (and attending...)
TV show? Game of Thrones S1-S7
Nashville restaurant? Xiao Bao for Asian fusion, Urban Grub for Southern/Seafood
Vacation spot? Tofino, British Columbia
Interview conducted by Rosa Park, MD