“At the end of the day, I hope every patient thinks of me as someone who took the time to listen."
Melissa Aebly, M.D. is an anesthesiologist who helps care for patients before, during and after surgery.
Dr. Aebly says she's been interested in medicine and how the body works for as long as she can remember. She attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine & Public Health. That's where the decision to enter the field of anesthesiology was made.
“I loved how anesthesiology combined medicine and surgery," Dr. Aebly said. “We get to work with patients from birth through old age, get to see immediate results from our interventions and occasionally are the difference between life or death for patients in emergency situations."
Dr. Aebly's time with patients seems brief at times, but she still strives to make a connection.
“Because my patients first meet me on the day of their surgery, I only have a short time to earn their trust," Dr. Aebly said. “I do my best to help them feel comfortable and at ease."
Dr. Aebly teaches medical students from the Medical College of Wisconsin Wausau campus who are going through an anesthesiology rotation. During her spare time, she enjoys skiing in the winter and spending time with her husband and twin children.