Erica Salinas, MD
Boone Health Vascular Surgery
I was born and raised in South Texas. When I say South Texas, I mean 20 minutes north of the border – not Houston, which is about a 7-plus-hour drive from my hometown of McAllen. I am from a very non-medical family and was the first in my family to go to and graduate from college and a professional school. I went to the University of Texas-Pan American for college and the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio School of Medicine for medical school. I then started my general surgery residency at the University of Arizona in Tucson and completed my vascular surgical fellowship at the University of Missouri in Columbia. While I was in residency, I met my husband, Ryan, and he followed me here to Missouri. We fell in love with Columbia and decided to make it our forever home. Ryan is a law professor at the University of Missouri School of Law. We have two children: Eleanor, 8, and CJ, 18 months.
Why did you get into the health care field?
Quite honestly, I grew up rather poor and blue-collar. I was always trying to find something that would enable me to have a career that was very stable with a good income so my kids would never have to worry about a paycheck-to-paycheck existence. Growing up, doctors and lawyers were always portrayed as respectable and well off. I had a passion for science and have never been too argumentative, so medicine felt like the better fit for me. As I learned more about healthcare, becoming a doctor just felt right to me.
What interested you in your particular specialty?
I started in a general surgery residence, then did rotations in vascular surgery. I enjoyed the long-term relationships that developed in a vascular surgery clinic, as we follow our patients for years after a vascular diagnosis is made. They get to know us and our families, and we become a community. I also enjoy that vascular surgery is an ever-changing field with new advancements to improve how I care for my patients.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
When a patient thanks me for helping them.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Knowing that there are things that we cannot fix. Certain vascular diagnoses are progressive, and there comes a moment when we run out of options and have to start talking about things like amputations.
What advice would you give someone looking to become a doctor?
Make sure that you have a passion for it and then don’t give up. There are going to be some very hard days out there. You will have a bad patient outcome. You will miss an important family event because you had to work. Someone’s family will blame you for something that is not your fault, but you will take it, because they are grieving. The thing to remember is to not let the hard days win. Surround yourself with people who love and support you in what you are trying to accomplish.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love spending time with my husband and children. In gentler weather, we love to get outside and take walks as a family or go to a park or the zoo. I also enjoy reading, listening to music and podcasts. Our office has a fantasy book club that we all enjoy being a part of.
What advice would you give to someone who is going to be a patient in a hospital for a period of time?
Always make sure to have your phone charger because the phones in the rooms don’t always work great. Bring something with you to make you feel more comfortable – a better pillow, a blanket, toiletries that you enjoy, or anything else to make you feel more at ease.