Dr. Darrat with her children at the NYC Marathon.
Running first appealed to Ilaaf Darrat, MD, MBA, in sixth grade, when she wanted to get fit and could run without needing to plan ahead of time or go anywhere specific. She liked that she could run from her house in Lexington, Kentucky at her own pace, on her own time. As she grew up and attended college at the University of Kentucky and later, medical school at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, running remained as both stress relief and a way to remain focused on her studies.
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November 2019Today, Dr. Darrat, 39, is a pediatric otolaryngologist and the division head of the pediatric and general otolaryngology and neurotology department at the Henry Ford Health System and a clinical assistant professor of otolaryngology at Wayne State University College of Medicine, both in Detroit. She has run 10 marathons and is currently working on running all the world major marathons.
ENTtoday: How has running helped your medical career?
Dr. Darrat: While studying for the USMLE step 1, I wanted to exercise to help relieve the anxiety and stress of the test, and to help our community. In 2003, I signed up to run my first marathon, the Detroit Marathon, with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation Team in Training. In doing so, I raised $1,000, raised awareness, and made some new friends. After that, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve raised close to $20,000 for different charities while running.
Running definitely helps with preventing burnout and relieving career stress. It also has connected me with physicians both in and outside my field.
I’m also in a running group on Facebook with physicians/surgeons from all around the U.S. We meet up at different work and/or running events. Also, many of my patients’ parents, and some of my teenage patients run, and we are able to have great doctor–patient relationships due to our shared interest.
ENTtoday: How do you make time to train?
Dr. Darrat: You have to prioritize training just like you would prioritize any other important part of life. I do many early mornings at 4:30 am. If I have a small break in my work schedule, I will go for a run. Sometimes, I have my running clothes on under my scrubs so as soon as I am done with work, I can get the run in before I go home.
I have three kids: my daughters Rayyan, 13, and Layla, 10, and my son Zakariya, 6. They know running is an important aspect of our lives; running helps improve both physical and mental health. All my kids do the 5Ks or 1-miler races. One time, I ran a 5K race with one kid running with me, one in a stroller, and one on a bike. They all wanted to finish to get the medal at the end. We usually do two races a year together.