You know that kind of cool certain people have, where they can just seemingly walk in, do their thing and walk out without breaking a sweat? Yeah, that’s exactly the kind of person Dr. Mase is – better known as Kiki around these parts. She’s developed into an outstanding emergency physician who can walk the very fine line between thinking about a problem and just fixing it. Between wondering “what else could this be?” while simultaneously saving the person’s life. This would all be rad on its own but she does it all while being an incredible mother, with the most recent addition only a few months back! The reason why she’s our RIP City Resident is all of these things plus her willingness to share her experience to help teach others. She never fails to craft engaging stories that highlight what she’s learned along the way to help bring her fellow residents along with her!

You’ve become known around town for your presentations on cool cases in the ED; is public speaking something you’ve always had a particular interest in? What have you turned to for design inspiration when creating your slide decks?
I haven't always loved public speaking - I'm a fast talker and would get terrible grades on presentations as I was growing up because I spoke too fast. My design inspo is Google Slides - it's amazing how a clean looking presentation can garner so much attention! We need to move away from old school PowerPoint blue slides with yellow font.

What did you do professionally before emergency medicine? What insights from that experience have carried over to help you be a better doctor?
My degree is in Finance and I was initiating and implementing micro-finance projects in Guinea, West Africa before realizing I needed to be in medicine. I've learned that everyone carries their own struggles, and no matter how busy we are, everyone deserves kindness. If we take a moment to appreciate that everyone we serve is fighting their own battle and acknowledge that they are also working hard, then empathy is so much easier. And empathy makes me a better doctor and a better human.

Sour Patch Kids or Reeses?
Sour patch kids all the way.

Any tips for new parents in residency?
Only to enjoy the moment as much as possible. Kids are so grounding - my babies couldn't care less about that awesome airway or heart wrenching code - when I walk in the door I leave my work behind and embrace the present. That's all that matters.

What’s one thing you have for each shift in the ED?
The latest on-trend bar. Currently it's a square organics protein bar. Also, a 10 blade scalpel.