A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dr. Erin O’Shea first thought she would have a career in scientific research but later decided medicine suited her better and she enrolled in the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. “I liked the fact that it was more social being a doctor than being a scientist, I really enjoy getting to know patients and hearing their stories.”

Dr. O’Shea says she finds working in Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine very satisfying. “Critical care is very exciting and fast-paced, which I enjoy. What I like the most about Pulmonology is that people come in with a problem and we can define what it is and then find ways to get them feeling better,” she explains. “These two areas of medicine complement each other very well.”

In her practice Dr. O’Shea treats patients with many different problems including sleep apnea, COPD, lung cancer, chronic cough, pulmonary nodules, and interstitial lung disease. She has a special interest in helping patients with sleep problems, known as sleep medicine. “Usually we can figure out what is causing the problem with a sleep study and then if it is a breathing problem such as with sleep apnea we have treatments for that. We can also counsel people who are having problems with insomnia. There are a lot of ways to improve the quality of your sleep, and we can guide people on that.”Dr. O’Shea says one of the things she learned during the pandemic is how to use telemedicine more effectively. “Now we can easily do remote visits if it makes sense for the patient. They can enjoy the convenience of seeing their doctor without leaving home. It can save a lot of time for the patient while still being very productive, especially for follow-up appointments.”

In her spare time Dr. O’Shea enjoys playing the violin and piano and has played in the orchestra at UMass. She also enjoys gardening and travel.