Natasja MS de Groot, MD

Natasja MS de Groot, MD, is a cardiologist-electrophysiologist at Erasmus Medical Center (EMC) in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Her work focuses on catheter ablation of complex tachyarrhythmias, particularly in patients with congenital heart disease. She is a full-time professor at EMC and Delft University of Technology. She is also a Medical Delta Professor and is the chair of the interdisciplinary Medical Delta Cardiac Arrhythmia Lab. She is director of translational electrophysiology (EP).

How did you decide to pursue a career in cardiology, specifically in EP and congenital heart disease?

I have always been fascinated by the heart. During my first cardiology lecture as a student, I was fascinated by the vast amount of information that is retrieved from an electrocardiogram (ECG). At that moment, I was certain that I wanted to become a cardiologist. In my second year, I started to work in the department of cardiology as a student-researcher in the department of echocardiography. After graduation, I applied for a PhD position in echocardiography but was appointed to the EP group instead, as they were the only group with an available position at the time. On the first day, I walked in the cath lab and knew that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was intrigued by the cardiac signals and I particularly liked procedures in patients with congenital heart disease, as it is more cerebral.

What was the most challenging obstacle in your academic life and how did you overcome it?

Most of my research is focused on unraveling mechanisms underlying arrhythmias. This type of research doesn't always have direct clinical relevance. When I began my research, some people were quick to tell me my research was not relevant. I ignored them and surrounded myself with people who supported me. Now I have great collaborations with other researchers within and outside of the Netherlands.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the EP field? If you go back to your residency year, would you choose EP again?

Absolutely yes! I love EP and would most certainly choose it again. The advantage of EP is that it requires knowledge of signal recording and processing techniques, and it also combines doing and thinking. There have been a lot of technological developments that have advanced therapy, yet there is still so much to investigate.

What will change in EP in the near future? Will there be a greater need for the EP field?

Given the fact that the number of people with arrhythmias are still rising and that we have suboptimal therapy for several arrhythmias, I believe the need for EP will greatly increase. Hopefully we have a better understanding of triggers and substrates of arrhythmias, have better strategies to prevent arrhythmias and will be able to identify arrhythmogenic substrates non-invasively.

What is your advice to aspiring cardiologists and electrophysiologists to be successful in both academic and clinical settings?

If you want something, just go for it. Stay enthusiastic and, most importantly, work very hard. Do not let negative stories influence your career path. Your dream job requires a lot of investment and hard work!

This article was authored by Sebahat Ulusan, a medical student at Suleyman Demirel University School of Medicine in Isparta, Turkey. Twitter: @SebahatUlusan.

Acknowledgement
I admire Groot's research and her multidisciplinary working environment. I really wanted to do an internship with her at Erasmus Medical Center in The Netherlands; I emailed her, and getting a positive response from her was a turning point for me. I learned a lot from her about work discipline and atrial fibrillation and congenital heart diseases in a two-month period. She is my idol and mentor in the electrophysiology field and I am so grateful for the opportunity to interview her.