Hi, I’m Nate Fagan! I originally hail from Canal Fulton, Ohio, a small town in the Akron/Canton area. I graduated medical school from Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) in 2012 and started my career as an OB/GYN resident. My original plan was to end up in gynecology oncology; however, I ran into an issue with surgical gloves—I developed an allergy to rubber accelerators. No idea what those are? Don’t worry, I had no clue either! To make a long story short, I had a difficult time finding gloves I could safely wear. Given that, I started to reevaluate my chosen specialty. While exploring options, I found out there happened to be an unfilled spot in my medical school’s radiology residency program. The program was based out of Aultman Hospital in Canton Ohio, near my hometown. After long discussions with my family and residency friends, we decided I should take the spot and switch into radiology. This way, if I could never wear surgical gloves again, I would at least have a job.?
Eventually, I found gloves I could wear. I decided to get back into procedures and do pediatric interventional radiology. There are several ways to become a specialist in pediatric interventional radiology. I felt best way for me was to do two fellowships: one in diagnostic pediatric radiology, the other in pediatric interventional radiology. I completed my diagnostic fellowship year in Pediatric Radiology at Cincinnati Children’s in 2019. I then immediately went to Nationwide Children’s in Columbus to train for a year in pediatric interventional radiology, which I finished in the spring of 2020.
After all that, I was recruited back here to Cincinnati Children’s for pediatric interventional (and a little bit of diagnostic) radiology. I am excited to finally be finished with residency and fellowship and to be part of the team at Cincinnati!
When I’m not at work, I’m usually with my two favorite people, my wife Krista and my son Kylian. Krista is a brilliant pharmacist and usually keeps me on my toes by reminding me how much I have forgotten about medical therapy. Kylian is, well, amazing! It has been an absolute joy watching him grow and find his own personality and voice. I never thought I would say this, but I could listen to “baby shark” all day if he is singing it!
Though I don’t have as much time for my hobbies as I used to, I try to make some when I can. I enjoy all manner of video games, especially online multiplayer ones. They allow me to keep in touch with friends I have made from high school through fellowship. I also enjoy playing guitar, though I’m not as good as I used to be.
I am very excited to be back at Cincinnati Children’s. The hospital generates a positive atmosphere that I love being a part of. And it’s that positive atmosphere that will not only allow me to grow professionally, but to deliver excellent patient care!
Dr. Nathan Fagan, author; Glenn Miñano, BFA, editor; Meredith Towbin, copy editor
