Welcome the Class of 2011: Class Profile

Dr. David Guzick, M.D., Ph.D.

September 20, 2007

For the past two years at about this time, I profiled the entering medical school class and introduced you to a few of its members. The response in both years was unprecedented—both in enthusiasm and in volume. The essence of the reaction was that the future of the medical profession was in great hands with students such as these, and that we should be proud of attracting them to Rochester.

So, by popular request, here is the September 2007 version of the annual newsletter on our new medical students, the Class of 2011. I will first present an abstracted version of Dr. John Hansen's famous profile of the new students that he gives at orientation, followed by autobiographies of eight representative students. Today's newsletter is longer than usual, but I predict that you'll be so inspired by our students' stories that you'll be glad I didn't edit them to save space.

For the Class of 2011, there were initially over 4400 electronic applications and we subsequently reviewed 3701 candidates who completed our supplemental application. The admissions committee, faculty and students interviewed 725 applicants this year for our 101 places. The class includes 48 women, 53 men and ranges in age from 20 to 33, the median being 24.

About 35% of the Class of 2011 is non-Caucasian. Twenty percent were born in another country, including: Canada, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and Taiwan. In terms of the town or city that our students now call "home," twenty-four different states are represented. As undergraduates, members of the Class of 2011 attended 56 different colleges and universities: among these, 9% attended the University of Rochester, 7% Cornell, 6% Brown, 5% Brigham Young University, and 3% each Bowdoin, Case Western Reserve, Dartmouth, Princeton, Williams, and Yale. About a third of the class majored in Biology (or some variation), with another quarter in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or Neuroscience. More than 20 other majors are represented, including a range of sciences, humanities, social sciences and the arts.

This class is unusually talented in athletics and the arts. Students of the Class of 2011 were varsity athletes in a variety of sports: basketball, crew, figure skating, ice hockey, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, cross-country and/or track and field, and water polo. One class member was on the women's dance team that performed at half time for a Division 1 NCAA basketball program, and somehow found time to graduate Summa Cum Laude as a Biology major! Another was Captain of the women's varsity ice hockey team at McGill (where they take hockey very seriously!). Another was a member of the women's ultimate frisbee team that placed second in the nation out of over 200 collegiate teams. Finally, one student was Captain of Stanford's men's soccer team, played professionally in the MLS for the San Jose Earthquakes, and was assistant coach for Bryn Mawr's college team. A large number of students are vocalists and/or are proficient in piano and cello, violin and guitar. Two of you were well on your way to classical piano performance careers, one at our Eastman School of Music and the other at Stanford. One student plays the piano, trumpet, guitar and various percussion instruments, while another was the female percussionist for a Spanish Rock band! No doubt, this class has rhythm!

A variety of other abilities and experiences also abound. Some of the more unusual abilities represented in this Class include being members of Mensa, EMT-Certified Park Rangers, an AmeriCorps volunteer building low-income housing in Harlem, Brooklyn and Queens, an educator and deckhand on the schooner Amistad in New Haven, hurricane Katrina clean-up volunteers, a Westinghouse/Intel National Semifinalist, and researchers at Cold Spring Harbor, Sloan-Kettering, Roswell Park, Howard Hughes Medical Institutes, the National Institutes of Health and at centers of excellence on university campuses across the country. Two members of the class have PhD degrees (one in Pharmacology and the other in Physiology and Biophysics), and we have one lawyer as well. Nine students enter medical school with Masters Degrees.

Many in the class are EMT, CPR or Wilderness Training certified. Virtually all have participated in research or scholarly activities, and many have multiple research publications or presentations at national meetings. One member of the class has 6 peer-reviewed publications and probably is ready for an initial faculty appointment! The vast majority wish to continue doing basic or clinical research as medical students. The vast majority of students are at least bi-lingual. Several also are proficient in American Sign Language. A number of students are the first in the family to graduate from college and many have held work-study jobs throughout college just so they could attend.

In their own voices, here are the stories of some of our first-year medical students:

Naomi Abe
"A person cutting a path [into the bush] does not know that the path behind him/her is crooked." This Ghanaian proverb explains how an individual venturing into the unknown does not always proceed most easily; it is only after the path has been cleared that one notices it is not straight. In many ways, this proverb describes my path to medical school, or more generally, my life. Looking back, I realize that my path was never straight and that I made many turns. Nonetheless, now I can also appreciate that it was this crooked path that led to many unexpected encounters, which made my achievements not only possible but also meaningful.

I was born in Germany as the daughter of a Japanese mother. While growing up in Nepal, Japan, and the U.S., I had the opportunity to travel to several other countries. Although I enjoyed such global experiences, I also felt lost in the midst of these quite different cultures. I was not sure which values to adopt, or where I belonged. After numerous attempts to discover a universal truth among these cultures and who I was, I came to understand that multiple truths coexist in our world, as well as within each society and individual. This conclusion has motivated me constantly to acquire different perspectives and challenge my level of understanding, whether it is about a theory in biology, a sociological analysis, or a personal dilemma. A deep respect for the diverse human spirit is at the core of my motivation to help people lead a dignified life.

My interest in medicine and its contexts developed through witnessing distinct circumstances of healthcare. In a Nepalese hospital, my mother nearly died from delivering my younger sister. Other patients frequently died from similar preventable causes. In Japan, I spent a month in a hospital as a patient myself, where I shared a room with five elderly patients. These women received much greater medical attention compared to those in Nepal, although they seemed far from leading a happy life. These patients, some of them buried in medical equipment, had little to do besides wait for the occasional family visit. Looking back, I realize how much these elderly patients looked after their pessimistic fifteen-year-old roommate. I regret that I never thanked these great women, some of them with dementia, who so generously shared their insights on life.

Although moving to the U.S. opened up the door of higher education, learning English and adjusting to the new educational system, while also working to support myself financially, was not always easy. It was my colleagues, from different backgrounds yet with similar struggles and dreams, that supported me through the difficult times. I was also privileged to work with great mentors. Thanks to such a supportive community, I was able to work as the events coordinator of my college's Multicultural center, study abroad in Ghana, and be the first non-history major to conduct a history honors thesis despite my financial and other setbacks.

It was my volunteering experience at an AIDS hospice in Ghana that solidified my intent to become a physician. There, I learned first-hand the distinct potential of a medical practitioner. A good physician can not only treat the biological aspects of a disease, but also contribute to individual and societal welfare. Today, as I find myself within the extraordinary learning environment of Rochester medicine, I am filled with amazement that I was able to make it this far. I am fully confident that Rochester will support me to further develop upon this base, and that one day, I will contribute to our society as a responsible physician and an accessible community leader.

Anna Cooper:
"I cannot afford food. How can I afford medicines?" The frail Indian woman pointed to her bloated abdomen, her figure a testament to her statement.
"You won't have to pay anything." I assured her. She had no vision in her right eye due to a cataract, and I could see the cloudiness of the left lens threatening to take her sight entirely. Standing one foot in front of her, I held up two fingers and, as she struggled to see them, I imagined how different her life would be with access to primary health care. After completing her eye exam, I reported her presentation to the supervising ophthalmologist, Dr. Sinha. Then, returning to the woman, I explained that she needed surgery and gave her directions to the A. B. Eye Institute. The following morning in the clinic, she nervously listened as we explained the procedure. Dr. Sinha operated swiftly. Our patient was held overnight to monitor for signs of infection. Early the next morning, she walked out of the hospital wearing a large smile, clutching her new glasses and a prescription for antibiotics. I was elated by the woman's transformation with the restoration of sight alone, yet I hungered for a more active role in serving her health needs.

In June of 2005, I lived and worked with a family of ophthalmologists in Bihar, India, as a volunteer for the non-profit organization Unite for Sight. Volunteering in significantly medically-underserved communities opened my eyes to the conditions in which much of the world's population live. According to the WHO, in 2002, an estimated 45.1 million Southeast Asians were visually impaired, accounting for 27% of visual impairment worldwide. Only when I met these people and experienced their way of life, one that requires sight for survival, did these statistics turn into reality. The experience continues to fuel my goal of working in global and community public health, as I share what I learned by publishing articles, giving presentations, and corresponding with prospective Unite for Sight volunteers. However, I wish to do more than simply witness medical care being provided by others.

Even before going to India, I was drawn to share what I learned in biomedical research with patient communities and the general public. While working in translational neuroscience at Columbia University, I organized a team of researchers, "Team Serotonin," to join a community walk to raise awareness and funds for suicide research. The deep desire for information about the science of mental illness expressed by the public resonated with me. To learn more about sharing scientific knowledge, I entered the Masters of Public Health program at the University of Rochester. In Rochester, I found strong suicide prevention grass-roots and research organizations, but discovered a limited regional presence and communications from the national and state levels to the local communities. I therefore established the Western New York Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to foster communication among existing stakeholders in Western New York, fund suicide prevention research, and raise public awareness about mental illnesses. It is incredibly exciting to fill a need in the community as a forum for information transfer that directly impacts people's health.

These volunteer experiences complement my academic healthcare interests in disease etiologies. My public health studies have introduced me to new perspectives and topics in health care, such as external impacts on patient-physician communications, effects of legislative actions on abortion and prenatal care, and cardiovascular disease mortality risks due to certain occupational exposures. I was honored to receive the 2007 Saward Award in Excellence in Community and Preventive Medicine on the basis of my Masters Thesis and community volunteerism. While the Masters of Public Health curriculum has strengthened my interest in community health, it also increased my desire for a deeper understanding of clinical medicine.

Before working at Columbia University, I studied Biochemistry and Philosophy at McGill University. One summer, as an undergraduate, I explored ‘whys' in memory processes at the cellular level and philosophical abstract in a neurochemistry lab. Meanwhile, my years in Montreal were heavily dominated by the Varsity Women's Ice Hockey Team; the culmination of which was to serve as the first American Captain of the organization. The friendships and challenges as a varsity athlete shaped my personal growth and curiosity into human nature.

Research and community involvement are the hallmarks of my medical interest thus far, especially bridging the gap between the two. I am eager to learn more about all factors related to health. While treating the Indian woman or speaking with persons who have lost a loved one to suicide, I yearn for more clinical knowledge in order to have a greater impact. I have seen first-hand the achievements the medical profession can have through knowledge and practice. In particular, the biopsychosocial emphasis at the University of Rochester will provide me with the training and skills required to serve people well through medicine, medical research, and community partnerships.

Yulia Dzhashiashvili
I have always been interested in medicine. This may sound like a cliché, but it is true. Nonetheless, my desire to become a physician gradually developed over the years, influenced by my childhood experiences, volunteer work, and research.

Doctors were a part of my life growing up in Moscow, Russia. As a child, I was prone to getting colds, especially during the long and snowy winter months. Back then, pediatricians typically made home visits, no matter how minor the illness. I fondly remember the attentiveness of my doctor, her sincerity and a positive attitude. It was around that time that I first thought that someday I would like to become a physician.

It happened that my father, who is a physicist, was invited to work in the United States on a collaborative project between the University of New Mexico and the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy in Moscow. My family followed him for what we thought would be only a temporary stay for a couple of years. I was 16 at that time, and little did I know that this experience would radically change my life. As a result, I finished a high school in New Mexico, and, inspired by my teachers to pursue a college education in the United States, continued my studies at the University of Bridgeport (CT), where I received a full scholarship. This scholarship was especially important for my parents, since my family could not otherwise afford the tuition.

At the university, I took advantage of a unique Research Associates Program for college students, initiated by Yale and Bridgeport hospitals. Through this program, I participated in research studies at the Emergency Department, identifying and interviewing eligible patients. It was exciting to be a part of the medical team and to contribute to the studies, which included, to name just a few, cardiovascular risk assessment and domestic violence screening. In addition, I had an opportunity to interact with and shadow physicians at the ED, who further reinforced my interest in clinical medicine.

As a Biology major at college, I also sought opportunities to work in research laboratories to gain hands-on experience in life sciences. I was fortunate to receive a Howard Hughes undergraduate research fellowship at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where I participated in a summer research program. There, I was introduced to a fascinating world of neuroscience and worked on a project investigating nitric oxide signaling in marine invertebrates. The following summer, I was invited to continue these studies at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences (University of Florida) as a research assistant.

Inspired by the process of scientific discovery, I pursued graduate studies in neuroscience in the laboratory of Dr. James Salzer at New York University. I was the first to apply several new gene transfer methods to study how proteins are targeted to nodes of Ranvier. This project is part of a larger endeavor to elucidate the mechanism of establishment of neuronal polarity, which is essential for axon function and integrity. In addition, understanding the process of myelination and domain formation during neuronal development is important for finding effective treatments for demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. While at NYU, I also spent some time shadowing a neurologist at Bellevue hospital. Observing how the doctor examines and treats patients suffering from epilepsy, Parkinson's, or schizophrenia was a moving and an eye-opening experience, as it made me realize how much more we need to know to cure these debilitating disorders. At the same time, I was captivated by the process of building an atmosphere of trust between a doctor and a patient, and by the art of problem-solving involved in making a diagnosis and selecting an appropriate treatment.

While my experience in research has been truly rewarding, I knew that ultimately I wanted to be in a profession that would enable me to take care of others, a decision reinforced by my volunteer and shadowing experiences. I believe that the program at the University of Rochester is ideal to pursue both my clinical and research interests. I am very much inspired by the rich educational environment at the U of R School of Medicine and Dentistry, with its incredibly supportive faculty, research opportunities, and an emphasis on treating a patient as a whole, which is at the core of the biopsychosocial model. In the future, I hope to integrate clinical medicine and research into my practice, providing the best care for people in need.

Thomas Fugate II
I was born and raised in Rochester, New York. My pursuit of a career in medicine is the result of a multitude of opportunities and experiences. One of my earliest experiences was right after 7th grade, when I was still a typical kid content to enjoy summers with friends playing soccer and tennis. My parents sent me to Purdue University to attend a summer Middle School Science program for students interested in science and to learn first hand what college was all about. A year later, my parents opened my eyes to the wonders of biological science and medicine through a year-long Science and Technology Enrichment Program (STEP) offered at the University of Rochester's Medical School, geared towards minority students in the community. Even though I was somewhat reluctant at first, my parents were determined to give me all the opportunities that they were never privileged to have. STEP allowed me to participate in Problem Based Learning sessions, perform research in an Otolaryngology lab, as well as explore other aspects of medical school.

I attended Xavier University of Louisiana, which has an excellent track record for training future doctors. I majored in Biology, and fortuitously during my Freshman year, a summer internship recruiter on campus offered me an opportunity to participate in a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship internship at the University of Rochester. That summer, I studied the effects of Frog Virus 3 (FV3) on immunocompromised Xenopus. I was also able to experience different aspects of the medical school curriculum and learn more about the biophysicosocial model, for which the U of R medical school is so famous, and to do clinical rotations in the Emergency Department.

While at Xavier I also experienced the worst natural disaster in American history, Hurricane Katrina, and saw first hand those affected by the collapse of the city's health care system. I volunteered and mentored students who did not have a school nurse and access to basic health care services, and who therefore went for days and weeks without basic medical treatment or medication. Even though I returned home for a semester, I went back to New Orleans and Xavier with a stronger dedication to pursue my dream of completing my college education and pursuing a career in medicine. I wanted to do all that I could to prevent a recurrence of such a fundamental breakdown in health care services.

In my free time, during summer and Christmas vacations, I continue to volunteer at Perinton Volunteer ambulance, helping technicians and paramedics help those who are vulnerable and in need of assistance, especially the elderly.

Together, all of these experiences have solidified my interest in medicine. Being a Rochester native I knew I always wanted to eventually come home. With a strong emphasis on patient care through the biopsychosocial model and an incredibly supportive faculty and student body, I knew the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry was the ideal place for me to pursue a degree in medicine. Now that I am back in my native city, I am happy to have an opportunity to contribute in whatever way I can to the U of R medical school and to the Rochester community for all the experiences and support I have been given over the years.

Robert Fulton
Three years ago I fulfilled a childhood dream when I signed a contract to play professional soccer for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS). Yet, during my one season of playing professionally I realized that I was looking for a career that challenged, stimulated, and engaged me in a different way. I stumbled somewhat serendipitously upon medicine.

I grew up in Portland, OR, and sports have always been an integral part of my life. Even today, I love athletic competition as well as the opportunity to push myself physically. Many of the most important life lessons that I have learned--in discipline, teamwork, leadership, and confidence--have all come from the soccer field. Additionally, I had the opportunity to experience success as part of a team, having finished second in the nation while playing for Stanford University and completing the regular season at San Jose with the top record in MLS.

Despite enjoying the three-hour work days while playing for San Jose, I quickly realized important aspects in my job were missing. First, I missed being challenged intellectually as I had been as an undergraduate at Stanford. I studied Economics and was fascinated by the application of theoretical models to the real world. Second, I longed to play a different role in the world. During college, volunteer experiences with hospice, a local children's hospital, and the Special Olympics, convinced me that there is nothing more rewarding and fulfilling than caring entirely for another person. In addition to the intellectual challenge, this fulfillment was lacking in my profession in MLS. However, at the time I wasn't sure how I was going to make care giving a part of my life and work.

The tipping point in my story came mid-way through my year in San Jose when my best friend suggested I think about medicine. At the time I was growing more and more discontent with my current situation. My friend's suggestion was one of those "ah-hah!" moments. Coming from a family with no health care professionals, I had never given medicine a thought. Yet after reflecting on the experiences in my past that I had found most rewarding, I hung up my soccer cleats and have not looked back since. I enrolled in a post-bac program to complete the pre-med requirements and am now here at Rochester. In my first month here I have been amazed by the incredible individuals in my class. Daily, the talent and diversity remind me of why I chose Rochester.

Although I have stopped playing professionally, I hope to integrate my soccer knowledge and ability into my future profession as a physician. I am particularly interested in the role soccer can play in public health initiatives internationally. As the most popular sport in the world, soccer provides an excellent platform from which health care professionals can reach out to diverse populations and in particular the young people within those communities. Through the international opportunities that Rochester offers, I look forward to exploring the opportunity to unite soccer and health education overseas.

Natalia Golub
I was born in a Siberian city in Russia, where people had a very strong sense of humankind as one whole. This perspective fostered respect and kindness towards all individuals, and the desire to bring benefit to the entire community, even if it came at a cost to oneself. Though I emigrated from Russia at the age of nine, this spirit of togetherness and the desire to help others has always remained strong in me. My passion for medicine also stems from my childhood experiences in Russia. My great-grandmother was very ill for the last twenty years of her life, and her illness affected me greatly and helped steer me towards medicine as a way to improve lives.

As I grew up, my interests and capabilities all pointed to medicine as a way to help people to live life to the fullest. In addition to my studies in biology at the College of William and Mary (W&M), I had the chance to volunteer. One of my most memorable volunteer experiences was at Angels of Mercy, a clinic for uninsured patients in Williamsburg, Virginia. The clinic was instrumental in providing patients with primary care services that they otherwise would not have received. This experience taught me about the value of medical care and the importance of the medical profession in helping people to improve and maintain their health. It also taught me how critical it is for physicians and other medical personnel to serve the needs of all individuals, regardless of their ability to pay for medical services. I also had the privilege to be president of Activism in the Fight Against AIDS, an organization at W&M which raised awareness about HIV/AIDS, conducted educational workshops, and raised funds to donate to local and international HIV/AIDS organizations.

In addition to my volunteer experiences, I conducted research for three years in college on the specification of neurotransmitter phenotypes in Xenopus laevis, in the developmental biology laboratory of Dr. Margaret Saha. This experience was a wonderful opportunity for me to develop my skills as a researcher. Though medicine has made great progress in the last hundred years, many unanswered questions remain about the medications and treatments that are part of medical practice today. I believe that medicine and scientific research go hand in hand, and thus expertise in both will allow one to contribute more to the field of medicine. I am pursuing an MD/PhD in epidemiology. For me, it is an opportunity to be part of a community that works together with the common goal of learning and making discoveries that will one day improve lives.

I have led a very privileged life, as my mother sacrificed a great deal to provide me with the best life possible. Many others are not so lucky. Attending medical school is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. I believe that these responsibilities are not only towards one's patients, but one's community as well. There are many wonderful volunteer opportunities available to medical students in Rochester. In my first month of medical school, I started volunteering at Rochester Roots, a non-profit organization that has established gardens at several schools in the City of Rochester, and teaches children and adults about sustainable gardening, nutrition, and many other things, as well as providing a source of nutritious food (for more info go to rochesterroots.org). During the first month I have also gotten to know my classmates and have been amazed at how diverse, caring, and bright our class is. I know that we can excel in our studies and contribute to Rochester in our years here.

Jeremy Katzen
My father is a physician, as are two uncles, a grandfather and a great-grandfather; all through my twenty-six years I have been told that medicine is in my blood. However, for the first twenty-two years of my life, I had no thought of following their path. Not surprisingly then, the path that led me to the University of Rochester was not a straight one.

I have always been an avid outdoors person. During high school I had the opportunity to live on an organic meat and vegetable farm in Vermont. For a semester, I lived and studied in the bucolic splendor of Vermont's eastern hills. Demanding class work was conjoined with the rigors of working with forty-six other juniors to make the farm and community function harmoniously. By the end of the semester my hands were calloused, and my interest in nature had become a passion.

I took my first environmental history class at Bowdoin College on a whim; I took the rest of them because I was hooked. Environmental history is a multidisciplinary field, and for me it centers on the premise that the environment (both the natural and constructed) can define and reinforce social structures. What I found as I delved into the field was that much of the scholarship explored how the human body can be seen as an environment through which social injustice manifests itself. The archetypical story is that of Gary, Indiana, where industrial pollution and the toll it took on the workers' bodies underscored the city's gaping class stratification. I saw this myself when I took a semester to live and study in southwest China. While there I visited a prison, where drug addicts dying of AIDS were warehoused, with minimal care, away from the rest of society. These patients' treatment reinforced the notion that AIDS was not an issue greater Chinese society wanted to face.

During the months leading to my graduation I entertained the idea of many different careers: environmental activist, historian, policy wonk, and even professional ski instructor. I eventually made my way down to DC and worked as a science policy intern for an environmental non-profit. However, I did not find abstract policy formation satisfying. I moved to Colorado for a winter; made pizzas, telemark skied, and thought about what to do next.

Arriving at medicine was not a quick decision. I knew that the convictions I had developed during my study of history needed to be answered, and that I earnestly wanted a career that allowed me to work with individuals to fix systemic inequalities. After returning home from Colorado, I began work in the Emergency Department in my hometown, providing HIV testing and counseling. As I worked with the doctors involved in this project, I saw how these physicians were more than healers; they also served as community educators. Gradually, I began to realize how a career in medicine would allow me to be involved with social justice on both an individual level, through patient care, as well as on a more global one, via health policy.

Coming to the University of Rochester was an easier decision. I wanted a school that is committed to the marriage of medicine and society, and one that would embrace my humanities background. History is about narrative, it's about the power of a person's story. In the University of Rochester, I saw an institution that is committed to a larger goal of community service, while recognizing that clinicians are only as good as the stories they can gather. I am thrilled to be part of this community, and look forward to continuing the biopsychosocial tradition.

Martha Trimbor
When I was nine years old, I learned about Doctors Without Borders and was certain that I had found my career path. I have always been fascinated with human biology and pathology, and so began training as a nursing assistant and working as a laboratory research assistant in high school. While these activities satisfied my intellectual curiosity, I had become increasingly concerned with racial and economic disparities in health and with the medical community's ability to address the health needs of marginalized groups around the world. To combine my academic interests and social concerns, I decided to go to public health school and then medical school. Integrating these two sets of skills will provide the theoretical framework and practical tools necessary to work effectively towards health equity. Public health school has helped me understand how social, economic, political, and historical factors shape patterns of health and disease.

My first exposure to the importance of public health training was in my work in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. As my plane flew into New Orleans International Airport, I looked out the window to a sea of blue tarps where roofs once protected people's homes. I was going to the Gulf Coast to work on a study on the health and social service needs of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The images of flooding, suffering, and loss in the days following the hurricane were so incomprehensible that I was not sure how to prepare myself for my upcoming experiences. While I was excited about the opportunity to understand the devastation and help make change, I was nervous about asking hurricane survivors to recount emotional and often traumatic stories of personal and material loss. Through the course of the study, I was deeply moved by how willing people were to share their stories and how therapeutic this process seemed to be for the participants. This experience has been inspiring and humbling and has reaffirmed my long-term desire to provide health care in underserved communities.

While quite different in practice than conducting interviews, my work as a nurse's assistant, counselor and case manager at Four Women, a community-based women's health clinic, had in many ways prepared me for my experiences in Louisiana and beyond. This work has been influential in my maturation as a health care provider, helping me articulate my goals in medicine and teaching me about the kind of provider I want to be someday. Four Women has cultivated a patient-centered approach to medicine, viewing each patient as a whole person, and not simply a procedure. During one of our many 12-hour shifts, our supervisors would often remind the staff that while this was just another day at work for us, today's appointment is anything but routine for our patients. In this work, I experienced the day-to-day reality of community-based medicine and faced the challenges of working in an underserved community. Despite these challenges, this work was incredibly rewarding as it demonstrated what a difference good medical care can make in people's lives.

My past clinical and research experiences have made me see the urgent need for compassionate and skilled physicians. I understand how crucial social science research has been for rebuilding the Gulf Coast after Katrina and for identifying where health care needs are, but I find myself frustrated that I do not have the skills to provide direct care. I have learned that I am more fulfilled by directly engaging with patients to meet the increasing health care needs of underserved communities. While I know that I may not be able to change the world by ending poverty or ensuring universal health care, for each patient with whom I interact, I am given an opportunity to improve one person's world. I believe that Rochester's innovative curriculum and significant clinical experience will equip me with the skills to achieve these goals.

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Talk about inspiring! I think you will agree again that the future of medicine is in good hands.

Meliora,

David S. Guzick, MD, PhD
Dean, School of Medicine and Dentistry
University of Rochester

Dean's Newsletter

Posted May 28, 2009:
A Fond Farewell to the University of Rochester

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