“Mount Sinai offered an unparalleled training experience in a world-class academic environment,” says Hannibal Person, MD, FAAP. “I was drawn by the program’s strong focus on translational research, the diverse patient population in New York City that provided broad clinical exposure, and the mentorship from leaders who were at the forefront of combining clinical excellence with health outcomes research.”
Hannibal Person, MD, FAAP, spent eight years in training at The Mount Sinai Hospital, first as triple board resident (pediatrics, psychiatry, child psychiatry) from 2013-2018 and then as a pediatric gastroenterology fellow from 2018-2021.
In late 2020, the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai began a Resident and Fellow of the Month Program with resident/fellow peer nominations solicited monthly and reviewed by a committee of GME leaders, and Dr. Person was the inaugural Fellow of the Month in November 2020.
Dr. Person is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle and the Medical Director of the Gut-Brain Health Program within the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He also served as the Medical Director for the Center for Health Outcomes.
He is passionate about disorders of gut-brain interaction, including the development of novel care delivery models and therapeutics for children and adolescents with these disorders. We recently caught up with Dr. Person five years after his Fellow of the Month award to ask about his experience at Mount Sinai and his current work in Seattle.
What originally drew you to pursue your residency/fellowship specialty choice?
I was fascinated by the intricate connection between the brain and the gut, and how disorders of this axis profoundly impact a child’s quality of life. The opportunity to blend basic science, complex patient care, and novel therapeutics to manage conditions like functional abdominal pain and motility disorders was the primary draw.
Why Mount Sinai?
Mount Sinai offered an unparalleled training experience in a world-class academic environment. I was drawn by the program’s strong focus on translational research, the diverse patient population in New York City that provided broad clinical exposure, and the mentorship from leaders who were at the forefront of combining clinical excellence with health outcomes research.
What’s one lesson or skill you gained during training that you didn’t fully appreciate until after graduation?
The skill of system-level thinking and advocacy training taught me how to manage a single patient, but the Mount Sinai environment, particularly in quality improvement projects, showed me how to identify and address systemic barriers to optimal care, a perspective I now use every day to drive institutional change and address health disparities.
How did your residency/fellowship prepare you for the real-world challenges you now face in your specialty?
My training instilled a dual focus on subspecialty depth and interdisciplinary collaboration. The complex nature of my work, which requires coordinating care across pediatrics, behavioral health, and nutrition, was simulated through team-based rounds and institutional quality initiatives. This experience made me comfortable leading a multidisciplinary team and developing novel care delivery models.
Is there a piece of wisdom you wish you could go back and give your in-training self?
Clinical excellence is paramount, but understanding metrics, budgeting, and quality frameworks is essential to becoming a true leader and effectively implementing the innovations you are passionate about.
If you were to create a “survival kit” for incoming residents or fellows, what three items would you include?
- Theater membership
2. Noise-cancelling headphones
3. Blackout curtains
Can you share your favorite “Only in New York City” training memory?
I was fortunate to perform with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, including being a featured act at a show with the New York City Philharmonic at Lincoln Center.
What has been the most rewarding part of your career since completing training?
The most rewarding part has been establishing and leading the Gut-Brain Health Program. It is profoundly rewarding to see a novel, evidence-based care model come to life and directly address a significant unmet need for children and adolescents, leading to sustainable improvements in their daily lives.
What’s something you’re working on now—professionally or personally—that excites you?
I am leading an exciting new research initiative focused on using AI-driven behavioral interventions to address the ongoing needs of children and adolescents with disorders of gut-brain interaction.