Tasha Johnson, MD, wins Schaengold Award
When Tasha Johnson wraps up her residency at Cincinnati Children’s next June, she’ll be able to add “Robert Schaengold, MD, Award recipient” to her list of accomplishments. Johnson, who works in the Pediatric Primary Care Center (PPC) at Burnet Campus accepted the award at the Cincinnati Pediatric Society’s annual Fall Dinner last month.
“I was inspired to become a doctor by watching my own pediatrician as I was growing up,” she says. “Then, when I was in high school, I volunteered here at the hospital, working in one of the playrooms in Hematology/Oncology. I also sat with patients in their rooms when their parents needed a break. That experience had a lasting impression on me.”
Johnson grew up in Cincinnati, but went away to college at Xavier University in New Orleans. She graduated in 2011, then attended Morehouse School of Medicine in Georgia, where she received her MD in 2015.
“I chose Cincinnati Children’s for my residency because I knew I would have family support,” she says. “But the program here is great. On my interview day, everyone I met was so warm and friendly. I could see myself working here.”
Johnson loves bonding with the patients and families in the PPC. She also greatly enjoyed her intern year, when she worked with the Hospital Medicine teams. “I loved the experience of answering pages, rounding on patients and figuring out a diagnosis and treatment plan, seeing the kids get better – that’s when I started to feel like a real doctor.”
She’s also enjoyed having the support of her fellow residents. “We get together outside of work. There’s a real camaraderie there,” she says.
When her residency is complete, Johnson will work as an attending in the PPC, but she is still deciding what her career path will be. “I know I want to be out in the community, helping the kids and watching them grow up into healthy adults. I also want to teach medical students and residents, to pass on the baton.”
Bringing compassion to her work is a priority for Johnson. “I love talking to families, making them feel like they’re heard,” she says. “I want to be an advocate. The families rely on us. It’s a big responsibility, so you have to be in it for more than the letters behind your name. Everybody, no matter where they live, wants and deserves the best care.”
