Sean Stickles, MD

As a native of Syracuse, NY, it is still a bit odd to me as to how I ended up in St. Louis. I completed my undergraduate education in Buffalo and medical school outside New York City, and I had always envisioned living out the rest of my days in the Northeast tri-state area. Yet here I am typing this up on a computer in Kirkwood, Missouri.
Despite planning to complete residency in New York City, I interviewed at Washington University and felt the program speak to what I wanted out of a training environment: a large patient population exhibiting wide pathology, a robust trauma experience, and a supportive educational environment that would prepare me well for my career. I ultimately ranked Wash U #1 and matched, and 4 years later felt the “gamble” had paid off. I then completed an Emergency Ultrasound fellowship at North Shore University Hospital on Long Island, NY while working clinically at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. Both were experiences that I found fulfilling and I initially thought I could stay forever in New York, paying exorbitant prices for rent, daycare and other living expenses. But, after an additional year at Lenox Hill post-fellowship, I made the decision to re-enter academia and went back to Missouri, this time to start the Emergency Ultrasound Division at the University of Missouri.
My time at Mizzou was a fantastic learning experience and exposed me directly with the challenges of starting an ultrasound program, leading a fledgling research arm, and ensuring and promoting high-quality, impactful ultrasound exams. This was, however, always intended as a short-term position, as the siren of New York was still calling my name. I left in the Spring of 2017 to take an Ultrasound leadership position back in New York that was, shall we say, “a poor fit,” and I chose to resign 3 months into my tenure to take another job, this time returning to Wash U.
I returned in the Fall of 2017 as the Education Director within the Ultrasound section, and then assumed the role of Advanced Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Director in 2019. During that time, we have graduated numerous fellows who have gone on to external leadership positions in academic and community departments, obtained accreditation through Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Accreditation Council (EUFAC), and mentored fellows to the point of having a prominent presence at national meetings (even receiving recognition at the Society of Clinical Ultrasound Fellowship conference in the form of a lamp shaped like a lightning bolt, so, a pretty serious accomplishment).
My general philosophy is to encourage mentees to feel comfortable and supported enough to accomplish goals they set for themselves. I personally feel I have done my best work when I felt respected and validated, that this state of being motivated me to push through my own self-doubt and accomplish whatever task was ahead of me. This has seemed to work well with my fellows as well as with residents at the various institutions where I have worked. Relatedly, my exposure to different hospital systems has also provided a different view on “how things work,” as you are likely to find Barnes has its own unique “flavor” of Medicine and it can be important to keep that in perspective. I am happy to talk or meet whenever is convenient or needed to discuss anything big or small needing clarity.