Enclothed Cognition

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

 

Katie Van Abel

Mayo Clinic/Rochester, MN – Rochester, MN

Katie went to Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia, where she had to transition from a professional downhill skiing career to one filled with studying, taking tests and caring for patients. She made the transition easily serving others became the focus of her career. Otolaryngology fits Katie perfectly because of her passion for research, surgery and most importantly the care of the patient. She is incredibly motivated to advance the field of otolaryngology through research, yet does not lose focus on the patients behind the medicine. Growing up as an athlete and competing at a professional level, Katie was no stranger to the being on the patient side of the doctor-patient relationship. Her interaction with physicians through her various sports related injuries introduced her to the culture of medicine and instilled a deep love for patient care. Katie gave up a career in professional downhill skiing to pursue a career in medicine. Vote for Katie here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

 

Ashley O’Reilly,MD

Mayo Clinic, Rochester – Rochester, MN

Dr. O’Reilly’s experience in medical school at Georgetown exposed her to a wide swath of humanity; she cared for both patients who had been afforded every privilege and were highly educated,  and those with nothing, in desperate need of her care. Ashley O'Reilly is a perfect fit for Mayo Otolaryngology. She has the smarts and clinical acumen befitting a high volume academic center like this one, and the bedside manner and consideration of a true Midwesterner (Minnesota-nice by birth). Dr. O’Reilly spent several months touring through and performing service in Southeast Asia, immersing herself in the cultures and personalities she encountered there. That experience gave her a sense of the scope of the world and of the suffering in it.  She better understands the enormous need for people who want to help reduce that suffering, and felt she could do that best in medicine. Dr. O’Reilly has followed her passion all over the country, incurring significant debt and leaving her home for extended periods of time, in order to obtain the education that she felt would best equip her to be the surgeon she could be. She has had to structure her own family planning around the vagaries of residency training, and has done so with aplomb. Vote for Ashley here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Kathryn Squires

Washington University in St. Louis – Saint Louis, MO

Kate graduated medical school from Washington University in St. Louis – the most academically selective medical school in the country. But her academic achievements (which are numerous) are not what sets her apart; it is her selflessness. Kate's compassion for others is what led her to volunteer on numerous occasions. Here are some of her medical school contributions:

• Washington University School of Medicine Alpha Omega Alpha, 2011.
• Wynder Prize for Preventative Medicine Award, 2011, given to a graduating medical student who has contributed to research focused on disease prevention.
• Academic Women’s Network Rosalind Kornfeld Student Leadership Award, 2011. The AWN Leadership Award is given each year to women in the graduating class of the M.D. and/or Ph.D. program at Washington University School of Medicine who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in service to or advancement of women within the community.
• Jessie L. Ternberg, M.D., Ph.D. Senior Award, 2010-11. This award is to be given annually to the senior woman graduating from the Washington University School of Medicine who best exemplifies the noble characteristics of Dr. Ternberg’s career: her indomitable spirit of determination, perseverance, and dedication to her patients.
• Foreign Rotation Fellowship, Forum for International Health and Tropical Medicine, 2010-11. This fellowship is awarded to medical students to support international travel.
• Outstanding Scholar Award, VA Medical Center, St Louis, MO, 2010
• Scholastic award given to recognize outstanding professionals in the field of medical education. Awarded to one third year medical student from Washington University each year who displays a commitment to learning and scholarly activity along with compassion and understanding of veteran issues.
• National Institute of Health Research Grant Recipient, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 2008

Kate was recently selected to be a Chief Administrative Resident for her final year of residency. Dr. Kate Squires is uniquely qualified to provide care for women – and more specific pediatric and adolescent female patients. Our residency program provides Kate the ability to care for the most complicated patients while Kate provides them with the nurturing care that they deserve. Vote for Kate Squires here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.  

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Katherine Gast,MD MS

Plastic Surgery, Univeristy of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI – Ann Arbor, MI

Katherine (Katy) Gast is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School. During this time, Dr. Gast was able to obtain a Masters of Science in Clinical Research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. In addition to a full schedule of coursework, she dedicated more than 1,000 hours of volunteer work at a women’s health clinic dedicated to an under-served patient population. She ultimately decided to specialize in reconstructive plastic surgery secondary to her interest in breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Dr. Gast stayed on as a house officer in Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan and is expected to finish the program in 2016. The University of Michigan Plastic Surgery residency program is dedicated to training future leaders in both patient care and research. When looking at various residency programs, Dr. Gast wanted to not only become skilled in the operating room, also to focus on the entire patient care experience to ensure that her patients will receive the highest level of care. With Michigan’s strong institutional emphasis on continuous quality improvement the University of Michigan Plastic Surgery residency program is “the right fit” for her. Since matriculating at the program she has not only become a technically strong surgeon but also become an advocate for patients and their families and a champion of quality improvement within the residency and the institution as a whole. Spending long days and nights at the hospital are difficult for every resident, but this difficulty is magnified when time at work means time away from a new baby. Dr. Gast and her husband welcomed a baby girl during her residency. She had to return to work shortly after the baby was born. Due to her clinical responsibilities, frequently there are days when she does not see her child, leaving before she wakes up in the morning and returning home after the baby is asleep. Sacrificing limited time with her family, she has demonstrated an impressive depth of academic productivity as a resident. Dr. Gast has presented her research on the need for systems of care for transgender patients internationally. She has also performed scholarly work to elicit which factors predict an academic career after plastic surgery residency; the results have received attention at the Plastic Surgery Research Council and American Association of Plastic Surgeons national meetings. Vote for Katherine here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Lucas Lindsell

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine/Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH

Lucas Lindsell was an optometrist by education before deciding he wanted to be an eye surgeon; he quit his job and applied for Medical School. He was accepted at the University of Cincinnati  and was able to put himself through medical school with the loving support of his wife and graduated top of his class. Although older and already having some experience in health care, Lucas was always humble, supportive of his peers and very professional. Luke has always been fascinated by the eye and taking care of patients. His program is in the midwest in a community driven institution that serves the underprivileged population of southern Ohio, northern Kentucky and east Indiana. Luke understands the community and patients, and he is caring and supportive of them. His work at the VA Medical Center in Cincinnati got him exposed to the medical students and faculty at University of Cincinnati. His daily work, especially with veterans that have diabetes, made him realize he would like to care for them in a more comprehensive way. That is how he realized he had to go back to school and train for another 10 years to become a vitreoretinal surgeon. Lucas had to be supported by his wife, and gave up his financial independence and time with his family to be able to go back to school. He still has 2 and a half years to go but still displays the same passion and determination he had in Medical School. Vote for Lucas here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.  

Sonya Kenkare, MD

University of Chicago – Chicago, IL

Dr. Kenkare attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and describes her experience:

In the summer before second year, I did a rural volunteering project through the University of Illinois at Chicago in Andahuaylillas, Peru, taking histories and performing physical exams for patients. Following my clinical experience first year, in a suburban family practice clinic, the range of disease I observed in this Andean town was very different. While the majority of patients I saw in Chicago suffered from metabolic syndrome, patients in Andahuaylillas largely suffered from respiratory problems, malnutrition and enteric parasites. Additionally, resources and medically trained staff were scarce. In a community where access to medical attention is limited but pathology is abundant, our presence made a difference in the lives of many people. In an early encounter as a high school hospital volunteer, I remember a baby with a cleft palate in the pediatric ward who was irritable and unable to breathe or feed without the assistance of tubes. When I held him, I observed his protruding tongue and had immediate respect for the plastic surgeons that would perform multiple surgeries to ensure that this child would never remember having this problem. This was incredibly inspirational to me. A physician sees an anomalous anatomical presentation and envisions the necessary treatment to achieve a desirable end point. Applying science and executing that vision can improve lives in a profound way. Due to the time and financial constraints of medical education I did not see the majority of my family, located in India, throughout the 8 years that I was in college and medical school.

Vote for Sonya here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Erik Domingues,MD

University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA – Worcester, MA

Dr. Domingues graduated from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 2010.  From day one he was a hard worker who persisted in doing his best so that he could take the best care of his patients. He served as a student volunteer coordinator at a local free clinic that helped provide care for refugees and other Portuguese speaking patients and used his knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture to prevent mis-communication from becoming a barrier in taking care of his patients. Dr. Domingues was the first person in his family to attend college and ultimately, medical school. His parents immigrated from Portugal and worked in factories to help support the family and Erik made the most of his opportunity to become a physician; he turned his family’s struggle into his own success. Erik's versatility complements his specialty, Dermatology, given his interests in medical dermatology, pediatric dermatology, surgical, laser, and cosmetic dermatology. At the age of 18 Erik began shadowing and working with Dermatologists to gain exposure to his specialty. Although he entered medical school with an open mind and enjoyed every branch of medicine, Dermatology remained his passion. Attending UMass Medical School, Erik knew that the Dermatology residency program there was the right fit for him. The excellent support, clinical experience, and faculty have helped Dr. Domingues achieve his goals of becoming a Dermatologist. Vote for Erik here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate  here.

If you follow us you'll know that advancements in technology that impact medicine get us excited, and we are huge proponents of encouraging kids to get involved in science, technology, engineering and math.  That's why we donated our lab coats for this event in South Jordan, Utah, where middle and high school students were shown how exciting STEM is. A few months ago Keila Valdz Mower, a Girl Scout leader in Utah, wrote a compelling email to Medelita requesting a donation of lab coats to support a STEM Education program. Medelita enthusiastically said YES! We are very excited to take a journey with the troop in support of their mission to educate young ladies about the career possibilities in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields (STEM). We will be posting pictures of their adventures as they meet with different STEM professionals. Kiela and assistant leader Kathy Steen Spahr shared the following experience about their first STEM trip. “I wanted to share a sweet/positive story today. As part of our STEM Education program, our girls meet with Dermatologist Dr Kimberly Peppit and Registered Dietitian Jaime Saunders from The University of Utah Health Center in Daybreak. The girls learned all about skin care, nutrition and the role of STEM Education in their lives. What made this experience perfect, was the fact that the girls were wearing Lab Coats with their names embroiled in and ID badges… Medelita made it possible for girls to have a visual idea of what their future may look like.” Here is the video: Additional information on the Girl Scouts of America STEM program: http://www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/stem If your organization is planning an event to encourage kids to get involved in STEM, please let us know so that we can help get the word out.

Almas Zane

Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island – staten island, NY

Almas  Zane M.D.  graduated medical school in India and began her residency in 2012 here in the US. Almas is incredibly dedicated and hardworking, and  her attitude embodies the true spirit of what a resident should be. She sacrifices her time with her family to take care of her patients, and demonstrates true compassion and patience even at the most trying of times. In addition to all she does, Almas manages to stay up to date with the most current medical information. She is incredibly bright and works diligently, and should be recognized for her skills and strong work ethic. Vote for Almas here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate them here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Jeffrey Cooney

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Neurology Residency Program – Chapel Hill, NC

Dr. Jeffrey Cooney's  enthusiastic nominator described him thusly:

Dr. Cooney is able to appraise all the available evidence, synthesize it in a current fashion and apply it to the most challenging of clinical situations. He is also able to make it “fit ” to teach the medical students and undergraduates under his supervision, while ensuring that it all actually happens for the patients. Jeffery is able to explain the “fit ” of his plan to patients from all backgrounds, with equal ease, to the families who are concerned and often devastated by the news of a neurological diagnosis. There is no doubt that Dr. Cooney is the right fit for Neurology and Medicine . He would be the Right fit for your program, because he is exemplary of everything we want out of our doctors, our students and our peers. Dr, Cooney is motivated to help those with neurological disorders improve their symptoms and quality of life. Watching a patient with devastating tremor be “turned on” with their Deep Brain Stimulator has motivated Dr. Cooney to do the same for other patients. 

Vote for Jeffery here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate them here.