Dr. Oren Friedman: I’ve lived all up and down the East Coast.

I grew up mostly in Atlanta, I went to college in Boston, and then I spent about the last decade before moving here living right in the middle of New York City.

I’ve been in LA for 3 years now.

OF: My father is a physician—an internal medicine rheumatologist.

He’s one of those primary care doctors who really devoted his entire life to the care of these patients. He was always willing to devote as much time as it took to understanding what was going on with them.

My mom worked in his office, so it felt like a family business.

We used to round with my dad in the hospital as kids. Our life always had to do with medicine.

OF: In the cardiac surgery ICU, I’m interacting with people from multiple different fields: cardiology, cardiac surgery, anesthesia, pulmonary medicine, heart and lung transplant, infectious disease, nephrology, social work, physical therapy, nutrition—and that doesn’t even include everybody!

Everyone’s different expertise and backgrounds really contribute to the care of the patient. I like that multidisciplinary aspect of the care we provide in the ICU.

I also love teaching residents and fellows. I think that has been part of what continues to really keep me going, even when the going is tough—I always enjoy teaching.

My wife also works in the Smidt Heart Institute as a nurse practitioner, so it’s great to be able to see her often.

OF: One of the things I like so much about LA is the fact that I can do outdoor stuff year-round.

In the Northeast, you had a very narrow interval of time that you could be outside and have it be tolerable weather-wise.

I love taking my 3 kids hiking—and you’d probably be shocked at some of the hikes I’ve taken them on!

I also like to play the guitar.

OF: We love Chatsworth Park South. It has some really great rocks where you can go climbing and do some bouldering, and it has a great playground that the kids absolutely love.

We also love Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park. It looks like you’re on another planet, and it’s really cool!

OF: I would be a journalist and most likely a newscaster. That’s the secret other job I’ve always wanted.

OF: Schitt’s Creek on Netflix.

OF: I’ll give you the opposite. My college adviser told me I’d never get into medical school and I should think of a different career.

I wanted to prove them wrong so I worked doubly hard to make sure it happened. In a way it was actually good advice.

OF: Moving between cities and jobs has helped me understand that the future is open and I have no idea where I may end up. I find that exhilarating.

Also, watching my 3 amazing kids grow up is exciting.