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:
Sarah Bryczkowski,MD
Rutgers – New Jersey Medical School/Newark, NJ
Sarah graduated from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 2010. The person who nominated her said "the one thing that I will always remember about her, was her ability to smile and remain calm under pressure." All medical students make personal sacrifices while earning their M.D./D.O. Like others, Sarah had to put her personal life on hold to make time for her studies. When I asked her this question, she modestly said that“I didn't make any sacrifices that every other medical student didn't also do.”Sarah has a goal to be an academic surgeon. She often talks about her excitement participating in educational research and continues on her path of excellence to make her family proud. She comes from an average blue-collar family and she is the first in her family to graduate college and medical school. During medical school Sarah’s father became seriously ill and passed away following infectious complications of a peripherally inserted central catheter. During this time period, Sarah received mentorship and continued support from the surgery team she was working with at the time. Sarah still speaks fondly of Dr. Dennis Hoelzer, a pediatric surgeon at Cooper University Hospital. She had a unique experience where she learned about the compassionate, empathetic characters that surgeons have. Sarah continues to be committed to improving patient care and advancing medicine. She took time during the middle of her residency to do research in improving patient outcomes in the intensive care unit. Her team is trying to find a way to prevent delirium in critically ill patients. In addition, Sarah is involved in a curriculum development program to teach residents the skills necessary to break bad news following severe traumatic injury. Vote for Sarah here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate them here.
