Dr. Anna Bowling and her career in anesthesiology, marked by her dedication to patient care and her innovative approach to pain management, has also embraced a unique integration of coaching. Raised in North Carolina, Dr. Bowling moved to California in 2014 for her residency in anesthesiology at the University of California, Irvine, where she later completed a fellowship in acute pain management and regional anesthesia. Since 2018, she has been in private practice, working at several ambulatory surgery centers and incorporating her coaching skills to enhance her medical practice.
In this interview,
Dr. Anna Bowling shares her journey, professional values, and insights into how coaching has influenced her approach to medicine.
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in your chosen field?
I always looked forward to learning science and wanted to pursue a career in a STEM field. I wanted a life of purpose. Inherent interest, aptitude, and desire for contribution naturally led me to decide at a young age to pursue medicine.
When my best friend’s mom had emergent surgery for a ruptured intracranial aneurysm, I was amazed at what the doctors were able to do. They saved her life and gave the family their loved one back. Medicine became my calling. I wanted to help the sickest patients and be a pillar of strength on someone’s darkest days. This is what we do as anesthesiologists. We have the enriching and meaningful task of keeping patients safe through their surgeries and returning them to their loved ones.
Can you share a defining moment that shaped your career?
I am passionate about making surgery as easy as possible for patients. I chose to do a fellowship in regional anesthesia because it helps achieve this aim. Regional anesthesia injects local anesthetic under ultrasound guidance precisely at the site where nerves or nerve bundles are located to achieve numbness of a specific body part, such as the shoulder, arm, or leg. I remember learning to do this procedure in residency and was amazed at how well it worked for shoulder surgery. My patients would awaken cognitively precise and pain-free—like nothing even happened except their arm is asleep. Of course, I must warn them that this medicine will eventually wear off, and they should be prepared. However, with the regional block, they won’t sense any pain for 12-24 hours, which is when post-op pain tends to be the worst.
Regional anesthesia is also highly beneficial for elderly or otherwise high-risk patients. For example, if your grandmother falls and breaks her wrist, instead of putting her under general anesthesia, which carries more risk, we can numb her arm and give her sedation to sleep lightly. I’m a huge advocate for regional anesthesia as a component of multi-modal, opioid-sparing anesthesia. Being a part of this pivot toward better patient care has reinforced my passion for medicine.
How would you describe your personal and professional values?
I value hard work, respect, honesty, and having a growth mindset.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Get a coach! My journey into life coaching has taught me more in a couple of years than I’d absorbed in a lifetime. Examine your mind. It can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
What personal or professional achievements are you most proud of?
I’m proud of being humble, genuine, and caring. I’m proud of staying true to myself no matter what. I have learned to draw strength from from any negative experience.
How do you manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance to ensure well-being?
We focus on what’s important and take care of that first. As anesthesiologists in a crisis, we focus on maintaining the patient’s vital organ functions and intervening where necessary. We can tune out everything that doesn’t matter and communicate what is needed. Generally, I take the same approach in life, focusing my energy and time on what’s most important.
Time and energy are the currency of your life. Reducing my life to what matters eliminates clutter, which manages stress and helps me feel that I am living my life purposefully. Remembering my purpose and reason for becoming a doctor keeps me balanced even when life gets unbalanced. Measuring our work-life balance like a pie chart is not realistic or helpful. At times, you will need to lean into your career, and at times, you will need to lean into your personal life.
Learning to shift your energy where it’s needed when it’s required ultimately leads to greater satisfaction in life. If you consciously maintain a sense of purpose in your work, no matter how difficult, it doesn’t become something that must be counterbalanced. For me, the usual complaints of those in healthcare, such as dealing with challenging personalities, unrealistic expectations of others, unrealistic expectations, and high emotions, can all be softened through listening and understanding. Doing so has allowed me to function in a meaningful way that also helps those around me to keep feeling fulfilled and passionate about their work. Healthcare is a team sport; we must look out for each other. We all have the same goal. What we can deliver is fantastic when we work together, support each other, and lean on one another when we have to.
How do you define success?
I define success as living a life that is fulfilling. When we spend our time doing something meaningful, we are more effective, learn more, and contribute more.
Who is the one entrepreneur or business leader you consider your greatest example and inspiration? Why?
Whenever I need inspiration, I listen to David Goggins. David Goggins didn’t let anything or anyone stop him from achieving his goals. He is the epitome of self-made.
Please tell us an inspirational, uplifting story about a time you helped change someone’s life, or someone helped change your life and made a difference.
I’ve overcome most of the obstacles in my life on my own, but lately, I’ve been learning from many great authors. After reading, “The Body Keeps the Score,” a book about post-traumatic stress disorder, I was awakened to how much possibility I was letting myself miss out on . It helped me understand my own experiences of trauma and break out of the darkness that it had brought. The silver lining of trauma is something called post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth can be profound and more significant than it may otherwise have been. So, in essence, the most influential relationship in my life has been the one I have with myself. Through the words of authors like David Goggins, Brené Brown, Viktor Frankl, and Ryan Holiday, I have learned some of the greatest lessons in life.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Anna Bowling and her journey through medicine and coaching underscores the importance of dedication, continuous learning, and personal growth. Her insights into patient care, stress management, and work-life balance reflect a deeply thoughtful approach to her profession and personal life. Dr. Bowling’s story is an inspiring example of how embracing challenges and seeking personal development can lead to a fulfilling and impactful career.
