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:
Matthew Demczko
Jefferson Medical School/AI duPont Hospital for Children – Kulpmont, PA
Matt graduated from Jefferson Medical College and truly appreciated the opportunity to study alongside some incredibly brilliant and personable fellow students who went into a wide variety of specialties. This helps to develop a perspective for medicine as a broader field and makes you more a complete physician. After graduating from Jefferson, Matt stayed at his home institution for residency. He has not used this as an opportunity to stay within his comfort zone, instead he has worked dilligently since day one of his intern to better the program he cares about so much. He is dedicated to his patients and to education as a whole, and his program has allowed him that focus. In Matt's own words:One incident that was the greatest motivation to enter medicine – plain and simply, the opportunity to have complete strangers open up to you at their most vulnerable moments and put their full and utter trust in your hands. The type of relationship that creates is unlike anything else you can experience outside of medicine, and I never take that for granted. As a junior in high school I shadowed a pediatrician for a day, and had the chance to see the relationship he had built with his patients over a 5, 10, sometimes even 18 year span. I thought it was so incredible to make such a connection outside of the family dynamic, and knew it was something I wanted to do.Matt sacrificed by taking time away from his family and his hometown was a tough choice, but worth it to pursue medicine. Vote for Matthew here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.
