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 Murray

University of Kansas – Kansas City, KS

Dr. Murray went to medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Katie’s realization that her leadership can transform people’s lives made her medical school experience memorable.

“I believe that I am a leader that can pass on my motivation and skills to others. I feel that I can see good and true passion in others and use my leadership strength to bring this out. I want to make a difference in lives; not just my patients but in all those who surround me daily (students, other physicians, nurses, all hospital employees) and believe that medicine is my ticket in making a connection with so many individuals and imprinting those lives.

Dr. Murray enjoys taking care of patients from all walks of life, which is something seen on a daily basis in urology. Katie says

“It is great getting to know my patients and learning about their life and being a part of major life events for them. The operations and diseases that we treat are truly life changing. It is great to be there for them and and help them through the emotional and physical changes that often occur.”

The specialty of urology lends itself through very intimate and private conversations. People share with their urologist things they don’t share with their spouse. Katie has the ability to be a confidant for her patients and wins their trust immediately. She then backs that up with the an immense level of judgment and a deliberate execution of surgical skill. Katie has made a strong commitment to building a career in treating urological malignancies. After her residency, she will be going on to a very rigorous and competitive urologic oncology fellowship at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Katie’s choice to pursue medicine stems from a sincerity which most physicians learn after many years of practice – the very simple and pure feeling that the patient is priority. That ownership; the realization that the patient is depending on your clinical judgment, your research experience, your surgical skill, your ability to bring expert opinion and consensus, that yearning that something more can be done, that anxiety that something has been missed – this is what drives Katie. And that she takes this challenge head on with full responsibility motivates her. She knows that she can make a difference and she demands that all around her put forth the effort. Katie’s role model in life is her aunt. Her aunt is a nurse. Her greatest motivation, according to her, is not one incident but the tirelessness and sustainability by which she improves the lives of others, at work and home. Katie says

“I truly feel that medicine is exactly where I belong. I consider medicine (and urology) my hobby. I would think it would be a sacrifice to my personal satisfaction and happiness if I didn’t get to spend my days and life taking care of others and being amongst other health care providers who feel exactly the same way. This is probably not the right answer, but don’t think I have sacrificed anything.”

Katie is very humble to think she has not sacrificed much, but she is sincere when she says she doesn’t feel like her hard-work, effort, and sleepless nights are sacrifice. Her commitment is very strong and comes from an inner discovery and peace which most physicians take a career to recognize, if ever. 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:

 

Ian Neel

Internal Medicine, University of California, San Diego; San Diego CA – La Jolla, CA

Dr. Neel is a University of California, San Diego medical school graduate. His most memorable experiences in medical school came in quiet interactions with patients, often at odd hours. He still remembers one such patient, a person with a large foot abscess due to poor diabetic control.

“I talked with that patient for weeks about his life, and from time to time asked him about his thoughts on amputation, but did not want to push the decision until the patient had accepted it. This patient will always stand out in my mind as many of our conversations occurred in the early hours of the morning while on-call; a great deal of healing can occur from a conversation at 3 a.m. when the patient can’t sleep due to worry. This patient showed me the necessity of being on-call and being able to have the time to just sit and talk.

Dr. Neel is a natural at internal medicine — enjoying not only the complexities of managing a critically ill patient via careful attention to each organ system and the patient as a whole, but also being a guide to patients, helping them navigate the complex and often extremely confusing world of medicine, explaining consultant recommendations and helping them understand how to get the resources they need to succeed in the world. As a San Diego native, he is also a unique example of someone whose roots in medicine are tied in to his local experiences:

“In 9th grade I started volunteering at a San Diego convalescent home, calling numbers for Bingo and conversing with the elderly residents. Looking back, it was probably my work at the home that first spurred my interest in medicine, although I did not know it at the time. There was one very pleasant elderly woman that would always want to talk with me for as many hours as my responsibilities allowed; we talked every week I volunteered there. Near the end of my first year, I went to the activity department as usual, and found that she did not know who I was. I found out she had Alzheimer’s, and it had progressed to a moderate to severe stage over the course of my year there. We continued to talk, but the home closed and I didn’t get to see her again. I moved to the information desk of the main hospital, however, continued to think about the patient and gained an interest in Alzheimer’s disease.” “It was in third year of medical school when I did a two week elective in geriatrics that my professional interests and academic interests collided. I met Dr. John Daly who reintroduced me to the world of dementia care, and found that it was exactly what I had been looking for in medicine from an academic standpoint. A study of the mind, while helping a severely at risk population and further addressing a plethora of social issues in aiding the families on coping with the disease. Further the philosophy of geriatric primary care, with a strong focus on quality of life over quantity, and minimizing polypharmacy, greatly appealed to me. I proceeded to do geropsychiatry for my psychiatry rotation and another month of geriatrics in fourth year of medical school, finding that after nearly three months of dedicated time in geriatrics my passion had only grown stronger. Hence I knew entering residency where my path lay, a primary care focused route with a fellowship in geriatrics. It has been a difficult yet easy decision, as it feels like every experience in my life has lead to my projected career path, yet I also have found I truly love each rotation I have been on in medical school and residency, so I also have seen that my future could have had so many other potential paths. I look at this as an affirmation that I am doing what I truly have been called to do in life. “ “If there is a sacrifice involved, I guess it would be the sacrifice of time in the pursuit of medicine. I made a choice in undergraduate to not start trying to establish a family until I had first established myself in the world, knowing the commitment and dedication that medical school and residency would take. Much of my time these past 5 and a half years have been spent either at work or preparing for work the next day, as it really is in medical school and residency where you must gain the knowledge necessary to be a successful physician. It only is a sacrifice in that it meant delaying a large part of my life, but if I had it to do over again I’d do it all the same. I truly love medicine, and am so happy to go to work every day. I’ve found what I am meant to do in life and wouldn’t change anything.”

Vote for Ian 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:

Nicole McCoy,M.D.

Carolinas Medical Center/Levine’s Children’s Hospital – Charlotte, NC

The most exciting and memorable portions of Nicole’s time at Florida State University College of Medicine were the 3rd and 4th years of regional campus training. As the class was split into smaller regional campuses, it gave the medical students the opportunity to work and learn in a small group setting, but most importantly provided training at locations that allowed the medical student to work one-on-one with attendings (other medical schools have students work under residents and a medical student may rarely work directly with an attending). This opportunity gave Nicole the preparation for her to become a competent clinician as she entered residency. She had more surgical experience as she was always the first assistant to the surgeon; she had more OB experience as she was always assisting the physician with deliveries and C-sections; she had more practice with presentation skills on rounds as well as writing notes as she was the only person working directly under the attending. Medicine is exciting and challenging. Despite changes in the healthcare business realm, it is still a fulfilling career that Nicole wakes up excited to embark upon every day. She sees herself practicing medicine for many years in the future and teaching her own children what it is like to have a fulfilling and exciting career. As a candy striper in high school and college Nicole volunteered between the labor and delivery units and Neonatal ICU. She especially loved watching the premature babies grow and thrive with exciting ground breaking medical advances. She was drawn to wanting to be a part of that transformation and really making a difference in the lives of exceptional children. As Nicole’s college friends were working hard and becoming successful business women right out of college–building a savings account and starting families– Nicole was taking out loans to pay the high cost of a medical education and studying late into the night. She knew the payoff (many years later) would be worth it, but it was just difficult realizing how different her career path was from theirs. The long road of medical education and residency has actually gone by at lightning speed and the end result is not far off, but those first few years were tough on her friendships and finances. She says she wouldn’t have changed a thing but may just have put less pressure on herself to fit in with them knowing what she knows now. Vote for Nicole 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:

Arezou Yaghoubian

UCLA – Woodlandhills, CA

Arezou graduated the top of her medical school class with AOA distinction at UCLA. She is extremely hardworking and excelled in all of her studies. Arezou also did a remarkable amount of clinical research and helped write a book of review questions for the general surgery boards. Arezou is extremely detail oriented and a perfectionist, making plastic surgery a perfect fit for her skills. She is an extremely talented surgeon as well as clinician and will make great contributions in her field in the future. Arezou is the daughter of a family of physicians. As a young girl, she was exposed to the field of medicine by accompanying her dad to his clinic. Unfortunately, Arezou’s grandmother was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and passed away in a year. This experience solidified her desire to become a physician and motivated her to continue to work at her goal of entering medicine. Arezou thrives helping others especially those less fortunate. She always puts the need of others ahead of her self and is an outstanding example of a young physician. Arezou has worked very hard to achieve her goals of becoming first a general surgeon and now a plastic surgeon. She has sacrificed many family functions and time with family and friends in order to excel in medical school and get herself to where she wanted to be. Vote for Arezou 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:

Russell Russo

LSUHSC Orthopedic Surgery/ New Orleans, LA – New Orleans, LA

Russell was part of the “Katrina Class;” he was a 1st year medical student during Hurricane Katrina, one of the nation’s biggest natural disasters. His class was torn apart and sent around the state unclear of what would become of the school and their medical careers. Russell was part of a unique class who formed a strong bond given the disaster and was able to finish the year in another city, then triumphantly return to New Orleans the next year to continue their medical education. Clinics were set up in old department stores ruined by the flood. The first floors of all the medical education buildings were not reopened for years, but the medical school thrived anyway in the post-Katrina New Orleans, and they thrived because of people like Russell, who despite losing 25% of their classmates to other schools and family displacement issues, kept the closely knit medical students together to complete their year without an issue. Cadaver labs became animal labs at the vet school in Baton Rouge. Housing was a run-down Finnish cruise ship that was sailed over to settle in the Mississippi river for all the students to have a place to stay. Yet with all this, the medical students of LSU-New Orleans ’09, anchored by Russell Russo, never missed a beat and graduated an incredible class of physicians, with a high number staying close to home in Louisiana. The orthopedic surgery program at LSU-New Orleans is “the right fit” for Russell because, like medical school, it is the closest knit group of residents in the country. Given the high number of athletes who become orthopedic surgeons, it is not surprising to see such a great team mentality in this residency program. Russell is a positive, upbeat person who keeps this team of residents working for a common goal and enjoying every minute of it. Residency can be a stressful, difficult, and emotionally draining experience, but having seen this group of residents, you would think they are having the time of their lives. Russell fits right in with this team of smart, young, eager residents who manage to enjoy every minute of residency while continuing to pump out important research and thrive in a clinical setting as highly well-respected residents. Russell has always had a deep interest with both science and sports, the reason he went into orthopedic surgery. His goal has been to build a career which allows him to care for his fellow athletic enthusiasts, in particular, high school athletes. As a high school athlete, he sustained a serious season ending injury that led him to see an orthopedic surgeon, and it has been his goal since to engage in that career path. Caring for high school athletes allows him to help those young student athletes who may not go pro in sports but use the discipline and teamwork earned in playing for their endeavors later in life. He also strongly believes in the importance of protecting student athletes from injuries such as concussions that can have a profound impact on the rest of their lives. This as well as other reasons is why he has begun to build a career in medicine. One large sacrifice Russell made, came during his first few years of medical school. Sadly after 3 years of helping care for his ailing mother, she passed away from metastatic cancer. Throughout his first few years of medical school, he spent many days in the chemo infusion center studying for medical school tests and chatting with his mom as she received chemo. He did his best to keep her upbeat throughout the tough time, but he knew what Stage 4 cancer meant; although, always praying for a miracle. While most medical students had their special spot in the library or the local coffee shop, he had his spot in the corner chemo infusion chair where there was an extra socket for his laptop. With 2 younger siblings to keep upbeat as well, Russell had his work cut out for him. Despite the challenges and sacrifices that had to be made, Russell thrived and was awarded AOA status his 4th year and was accepted to his #1 choice in the match for orthopedic surgery. Vote for Russell 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:

Kaitlin Herald

University of Texas at Houston Medical Center – Houston, TX

Kaitlin Herald’s sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor while she was in medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Ohio. This diagnosis not only caused her to shift her entire life priorities from being a student to taking care of her sister, it also changed the way she looked at illness. Dr. Herald has matched into anesthesia residency after failing to match into neurosurgery residency. Now as a 3rd year anesthesia resident she constantly comments on how lucky she was to have landed in anesthesia because it suits her personality perfectly. The rejection, although hard to take initially, was a blessing in disguise and she would never give up her anesthesia spot or trade back any day. Her confidence and leadership makes her a perfect anesthesiologist. After finding out about her sister’s illness, Kaitlin dedicated her life to helping others in need. Improving health both by being an excellent physician and helping serve underprivileged patients. She spent 3 months abroad in Germany helping neuro-surgical patients receive surgical treatment they would not have had otherwise. She is a true humanitarian and her motivation is to treat every patient as if they are her sister. Many times in medicine, a treatment can only cure a disease to a certain extent; it is a patient and their caregivers' positive mindset, and hope, that drives a patient to a cure. Kaitlin provides this for her patients. Kaitlin has made multiple sacrifices in her dedication to medicine. The biggest being caring for her sister after her diagnosis of a brain tumor. Being the oldest child, and the only physician of her family she committed herself to helping her sister. Switching her role from one of a medical student to one of a personal caregiver. She sacrificed lecture, rounding and studying time to attend her sisters doctors appointment and treatments with her. She worked outside of her school work to help supplement her sisters medical bills and prescriptions. Vote for Kaitlin 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:

Leslie Cavazos

KUMC, Kansas City, KS – Kansas City, MO

A 2011 graduate of the Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Dr. Cavazos received a top-notch education. The level of teaching and faculty dedication made this medical education memorable. Rehabilitation medicine is the perfect mix of general medicine, functional outcomes, and pain management. Helping patients reach their optimal level of function in the community is a gift. Dr. Cavazos would like to work with an aging population and find ways for them to prolong their functional independence in the community. She also wants to improve quality of life in cancer survivors, through rehabilitation programs, that assist patients and families. Like all medical residents, Leslie sacrificed time with family, and she was already a mother when entering medical school. Vote for Leslie 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:

Mariah Smith

Metropolitan Hospital Psychiatry – Tucson, AZ

Mariah graduated from St. Georges University recently and began her psychiatry residency. Medical school was made memorable by the environment in which she strove to accomplish this amazing feat. Mariah went to medical school on the small island of Grenada where she was able to gain an excellent understanding of medicine while also learning about healthcare in an under-served area of the world. It allowed her to build a better cache of medical knowledge and made her the excellent physician she is today. Mariah's residency program is the right fit for her because she has the capabilities, interests and fortitude of a psychiatrist. Mariah loves to speak with her patients and always seeks ways to improve their lives without simply turning automatically to medications. Mariah chose to build a career in medicine because it has been her lifelong dream; she could not imagine doing anything else with her life. Mariah sacrificed her health to gain her MD: during medical school it was discovered that she had Celiac disease during medical school. Instead of giving up and retreating back home, she pushed through nights of pain and sickness to complete medical school. Vote for Mariah 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:

 

Kari Kraemer,D.O.

Baton rouge,Louisiana – Baton Rouge, LA

Kari attended Medical School at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine -(PCOM) at the Georgia Campus. Her first memorable experience was in Gross Anatomy class during her freshman year; she was assigned to dissect a cadaver who was a young woman in her twenties, who had died from breast cancer. Kari was overcome by the generosity of this young woman who donated her body to science. Kari did not expect to have a cadaver with which she could so closely identify, and it was a humbling and emotional experience for her. This young woman contributed an incredible amount to Kari’s medical education, and her selfless gift to contribute her body to science will indirectly impact every patient that Kari sees in her medical career. The knowledge of anatomy that allows Kari to confidently practice medicine was in large part a result of this anonymous young woman’s gift. Kari is very much a “type A” personality: she functions best under pressure and finds it exciting and interesting to be working in Emergency Medicine. The ability to actually save lives on a daily basis, and to contribute to the health of a large number of patients, motivates her. Kari’s father is a Physician so she he grew up being exposed to the practice of medicine and it had a great impact on her career choice. After attending undergraduate school at the University of South Carolina in Columbia,S.C. She was very active in her sorority and is a very sociable person with a bubbly personality. Leaving behind all of her friends,family and her social life was very very difficult for Kari. The long,isolating days of non-stop studying and living alone was one of the hardest things she has ever had to do. Vote for Kari 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:

David Stoddard

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN – Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery – Rochester, MN

David graduated from the University of Rochester, New York medical school. He did so not only as an accomplished doctor in medicine, but also as a father of two with one on the way. He is an incredibly caring individual who places medicine and family as his top priorities, at great personal sacrifice. These attributes provided him with a perspective that is far more mature than many of his peers. Inspired by his amazing wife and children, David not only graduated at the top of his class, but matched into one of the most competitive sub-specialties at one of the most competitive programs in the country: ENT at the Mayo Clinic. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery truly chose David. While competent in each of his core rotations as a medical student, David quickly fell in love with surgery. Surgery today is not what it once was. The complexities now require a greater degree of specialization much earlier in training, however, for David, the choice of what surgical sub-specialty to pursue was made clear to him by a sentinel event in his life when his mother developed thyroid cancer. Treatment of her cancer required not only surgery but subsequent radioactive iodine therapy as well. Watching and supporting his mother going through this ordeal solidified David’s desire to enter into Otolaryngology. His desire to give back to the specialty that helped his mother has been exemplified by his outstanding patient care on a day-to-day basis. While many residents “put their heads down” to get through the grueling training period of residency, David takes the time to listen and support his patients as individuals, as a family member would. His empathy and dedication to his craft make David the doctor you hope cares for your mother if she were to be diagnosed with cancer. During high school, David was not only a dedicated student, but was again dedicated to giving back to his community. Unlike most high school students, David’s community did not just include his local neighborhood, city or state. David’s community brought him all the way to Lithuania where he lived and served for two years. During that time he provided community service to those in need, taught English as a second language, and explored his faith as a missionary for his Church. These experiences opened David’s eyes to the world as a larger stage than the community he had grown up in. It helped to crystallize for him his desire to serve those in need and improve the lives of those around him in the most profound way he could: through medicine. Most medical students and residents will tell you that medical school and residency leaves little time for people outside of the hospital. Caring for patients, learning the craft of medicine, studying the art of surgery, and learning how to function as an independent physician leaves little time for some of the most important people in our lives…our family. However, David has managed to juggle these demands on his time with absolute brilliance. He is the proud father of four adorable children. When you are with his family, it is clear that he is not an absentee father. After returning from a long day, he takes the time to read to his children, watch the “plays” they have created, and tuck them in at night. He and his wife have provided their children with a warm, full, and loving home despite making a single resident’s salary. This is no small feat. Vote for David here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.