Nancy Greilich, M.D.: 30 Years
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Management
First UTSW job: I was first hired as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology.
Best part about my job: My favorite aspect of the job involves the trust that patients put in us during a period of great trepidation for them. I have especially enjoyed collaborating with the team on the Parkland Burn Unit to provide the best care for patients suffering from severe burn injuries.
How co-workers describe me: They would say I am intense, detailed, and patient-focused.
Best UTSW memory: Actually, my most unusual experience involves some dark humor. One night at 3 a.m. during an otherwise uneventful surgical procedure, the operating room (OR) bed suddenly began moving without anyone touching the controls. It quickly folded up from both ends and rotated to the right. After some rapid group actions to ensure patient safety, we all agreed it was due to a poltergeist and did not use that OR again that night.
My proudest UTSW accomplishment: I am most proud of teaching residents how to be safe, compassionate, and patient-centered physicians – while at the same time raising three children and running a busy, dual-physician household.
I’m really good at: According to friends and family, it’s functioning as an amateur psychologist. Some also might say home decorating is an above-average skill that I possess.
Hobbies: My greatest passion is hiking great trails in national parks across the U.S. and Europe. Trying new, complex recipes with my adult offspring also brings me a great deal of pleasure.
Surprising facts: Away from work, I am somewhat laid-back and fun-loving. Because I am very nerdy about my love of European history, I won the Class Historian Award in high school. Also, since my early 20s, weightlifting has taken up most of my devoted exercise time.
Final note: Eight years of bedside nursing before medical school taught me the empathy and observational skills that still guide my medical practice today.