In Episode 31, I had the privilege of visiting with Dr. Trish Perl, Chief of Infectious Diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center (ranked the #1 hospital in Dallas and one of the top hospitals and research centers in the nation and beyond). Dr. Perl, who has been instrumental in assisting Dallas in its response to COVID-19, describes her personal disposition while serving in the midst of the pandemic, how she navigates the political pressures associated with COVID-19, how she finds patience while working through data, the local and national moments during this pandemic when she was reminded why she does what she does, how she has remained optimistic, what she reads to stay up to speed, her interactions with mask-less individuals at the grocery store, some of the "aha!" moments she has experienced throughout her career, and what she would be doing today if medical school was not previously the selected route.