“Being on stage honestly feels a bit surreal, and it is very different compared to playing along at home,” Shah said. “It's so easy to sit at home and say, ‘Wow, I can't believe none of the contestants answered that clue correctly,’ but Jeopardy! is nerve-wracking, and things on TV sometimes don't always go smoothly. The host may misspeak, or the judges may have to make a lengthy ruling on an answer. All those little things can interrupt what viewers perceive as a constant flow of the game.”

There’s also that famed buzzer — which Shah called the “great equalizer.” Contestants who buzz in before the host finishes reading the clue are locked out for a fraction of a second. That’s all it takes to lose a shot at providing a response. Like many contestants, Shah said he spent a great deal of time practicing his buzzer technique at home with a clicker pen.

In a fun twist, Shah’s appearance coincided with the guest-hosting stint of fellow Atlantan and CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta.

“His easygoing personality was great for the show. He is definitely someone I admire and have looked up to for his work as a medical professional and correspondent for CNN,” Shah said. “Meeting him was a dream come true.”

Shah works with Professor Johnna Temenoff, where he is focused on biomaterial- and stem-cell-based strategies to treat muscle degeneration after rotator cuff injuries.

Of course, there’s one answer we don’t know: how well Shah did in his turn behind a Jeopardy! podium. We’ll all have to watch July 7 to find out.

UPDATE: Shah started slow but stormed to the lead and entered Final Jeopardy! ahead of his two competitors. However, he wagered almost all of his money and missed the final clue, so he ended the game in third.