Aalap C. Shah, MD

Aalap C. Shah, MD Aalap Shah, MD, is a board certified anesthesiologist, specializing in pediatric anesthesiology.

He attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, thereafter completing a general anesthesiology residency at the University of Washington and fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Shah lives in Southern California and provides clinical anesthesia and pain relief services for several outpatient surgical centers in the Los Angeles Area, as well as independent consulting services in healthcare quality improvement and research. Dr. Shah is passionate about introducing workflow and process improvement strategies in the perioperative healthcare arena, in the pursuit of simultaneously improving both the healthcare provider experience and patient outcomes. He has completed two research fellowships, obtained Six Sigma and LEAN certification and patient safety curricula, and published work on outcomes-based research studies and clinical trials on informatics tools in peer-reviewed journals. He is a recipient of the ACGME David Leach award for his leadership with a multidisciplinary team engaged in improving interpersonal and enhancing vigilance for post-operative patients. Aalap is actively involved with global medical volunteerism initiatives, widening his cultural context of care and sharing his experiences with perioperative teams abroad. From a young age, travel, writing, photography and music have been the forefront of interest for Aalap. He harmonizes all aspects of his life to holistically compliment his clinical practice. These creative outlets provide self-mindfulness, sensitivity and cultural awareness to patients' plan of care as well as personal growth.

A Quick Reality Check on Using AI in MedicineAI answers can sound extremely confident. That confidence is exactly why we...
02/17/2026

A Quick Reality Check on Using AI in Medicine

AI answers can sound extremely confident. That confidence is exactly why we need to slow down for a second.

If you're letting AI anywhere close to real patient-care decisions, make it a habit to always double-check: look up the original sources, run it by a colleague, and set very clear limits on what the AI is actually allowed to handle.

Think of it like a really quick, eager junior resident — great for brainstorming, pulling together initial ideas, or giving you a starting point. Just not the one who gets the final say.

Save this for your next team or workflow discussion. Maybe quietly pass it along to whoever's pushing the newest "AI upgrade" in your hospital.

02/16/2026

These OR weeks are absolutely relentless—my brain’s still racing at a million miles an hour even after I leave the hospital. But the moment I sit down at the piano? Instant calm.

Got my peace back today, and damn, it feels incredible 💛

Love these small moments that remind me who I am outside the scrubs and the charts. They’re what keep me grounded

You wouldn’t take a “low-volume” moonlighting shift without confirming the pay… so why do we say yes without confirming ...
02/14/2026

You wouldn’t take a “low-volume” moonlighting shift without confirming the pay… so why do we say yes without confirming malpractice?

I learned this the hard way: your main coverage often doesn’t automatically follow you to that urgent care / telemed / locums “easy gig.”
And if it’s claims-made? That’s where tail becomes the surprise bill.

Red flag I wish I respected sooner: if they won’t show you the coverage in writing… walk away.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 and I’ll drop the exact questions I ask before I say yes to any “hey doc, can you cover?” text. Save + send this to your moonlighting friend.

02/14/2026

Once you start spotting that pattern it’s hard to unsee — that quick jump from “here’s a thing” straight to “and therefore obviously this” with zero room left for maybe, or nuance, or “it depends.”

It’s like the internet trained a whole generation of writing to sound 100% sure in 280 characters or less, and now the model just learned to imitate the same confident drumbeat.

Feels kinda wild when you realize most of the loudest AI answers are just copying that same tempo we’ve all been soaking in for years.

Pass it on if it rings a bell for you too.

02/13/2026

Sedated ≠ Rested: The THC Sleep Trap

If THC has turned into your go-to for falling asleep every night, here's something worth keeping in mind:

Over time, your body can build tolerance, so you might end up needing more to get that same sleepy feeling. When you cut back or stop, a lot of folks deal with rebound stuff like super vivid/intense dreams, choppy sleep, waking up a bunch, or just straight-up trouble staying asleep. The sedation from it isn't always the same as truly deep, refreshing rest—sometimes what feels like "better sleep" is more about masking restlessness or being less aware of it during the night. Waking up feeling groggy, cranky, or foggy-headed the next day can be a clue your brain hasn't fully gone through its normal recovery stages.

Pin this if it hits home. And if you're relying on cannabis every night for sleep, it might help to chat with your doctor or a clinician about easing off gradually while picking up some natural ways to rebuild solid sleep habits.

02/12/2026

Why Physicians Often Sound So Measured Online

You see it across platforms: the short disclaimers, the precise phrasing, the frequent “please discuss this with your own doctor.” It’s not that physicians have nothing to say. It’s that almost every word they write carries potential weight.

Medical training doesn’t only deliver knowledge—it also brings constant oversight, institutional policies, legal realities, and real-world consequences. So the people with the most experience and expertise often become the most deliberate with their language.
If you’re a physician who sometimes feels constrained by all of this, you’re not the only one feeling it.

Save or share this if it speaks to you, and feel free to follow for more open, grounded talk about medicine and what healthcare looks like today.

02/12/2026

Ma*****na and REM

A lot of people use w**d to fall asleep faster, and that part's real—THC can cut down the time it takes to nod off.

But quick sleep doesn't always mean good sleep.

Research is mixed: older studies (often with higher doses) showed THC suppresses REM sleep (the dream stage important for memory, emotions, and brain recovery), and some recent ones still find that effect, especially acutely or with heavier use. Newer studies with lower/typical doses often show less consistent REM reduction, though chronic use can still lead to more wake-ups, lighter sleep, or lower overall efficiency in some cases.

Point is, sedation and actually restorative sleep aren't the same. You might crash fast, but if REM or other stages get disrupted regularly, your brain might not get the full reset it needs.

If you want to wake up sharp and balanced long-term, it's worth tracking the whole sleep picture, not just how quick you pass out

02/11/2026

When Expertise Gets Penalized

Patients arrive already overwhelmed by online opinions, TikTok diagnoses, AI suggestions, denial letters, and fear-based ads. That stress often lands on the doctor.

Many physicians must choose every word carefully—not from lack of confidence, but because the current environment makes speaking freely feel risky.
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.

Save, share, or follow for more real talk about today’s medicine.

02/10/2026

When Healthcare Becomes a Daily Calculation for Survival

When an economy collapses, the first thing that vanishes is choice.
For patients it turns into: postpone treatment, make medications last longer, pray the condition does not worsen.

For healthcare workers it turns into: find workarounds, ration what little is available, carry the moral burden home every night.

This is not abstract policy debate or political theater. It is real people forced to solve impossible equations every single day.

If you are in healthcare, you already know how quickly "we can manage this" becomes "there is no path forward."

Save this if it resonates. Share it if you think others should see it. And tell me: what part of this reality do you wish more people truly understood before a crisis arrives?

02/10/2026

Some injuries look “simple” on replay… until you see what they do to a knee.

A distal femur break is one of those: big force, big swelling, brutal first week, and a recovery plan that’s usually surgical. Pain control matters—but so does keeping you safe, stable, and sleeping.

02/09/2026

"Being in good standing" has become just another way of saying "your payment went through."

Doctors can spend years taking care of patients, training new doctors, showing up every day. But their license still depends on paying annual fees.

In finance, you can follow all the rules, do good work, get results. You still have to keep paying recurring fees and registrations just to keep your license active.

The draining part isn't learning new things or staying sharp at your job. It's the bill that shows up every year no matter how much good work you actually did.

When it's time to renew, the notice arrives like clockwork. Doesn't matter if you had a busy year or a quiet one.

If this sounds familiar, save and share: where do you see this "pay to stay in the game" pattern in your field?

02/07/2026

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25792 Nellie Gail Road
Laguna Hills, CA
92653

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Aalap Shah, MD, is a board certified anesthesiologist, specializing in general adult and pediatric anesthesiology. He attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, thereafter completing a general anesthesiology residency at the University of Washington and fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Shah lives in Southern California and provides clinical anesthesia and pain relief services for several outpatient surgical centers in the Los Angeles Area, as well as independent consulting services in healthcare quality improvement and research.

Dr. Shah is passionate about introducing process improvement strategies in the perioperative healthcare arena, in the pursuit of simultaneously improving both the healthcare provider experience and patient outcomes. He has obtained Six Sigma and LEAN certification and completed fellowships outside of his medical training. He has authored publications in peer-reviewed journals on topics ranging from nerve injury to compliance measures with evidence-based practices, as well op-ed pieces for physician media outlets including KevinMD. He is a recipient of the ACGME David Leach award for his leadership with a multidisciplinary team in improving communication between physicians and nurses after surgery. Aalap is actively involved with global medical volunteerism initiatives, widening his cultural context of care and sharing his experiences with perioperative teams abroad. Dr. Shah is also the Founder and Principal of PRPmobile, a concierge medical aesthetics company in Beverly Hills.

From a young age, photography and music have been the forefront of interest for Aalap. He harmonizes all aspects of his life to holistically compliment his clinical practice. These creative outlets provide self-mindfulness, sensitivity and cultural awareness to patients' plan of care as well as personal growth.