ECU Notes: Scholars explore medicine

Physicians at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University worked closely with three top scholars from a state university earlier this summer, providing the students with experiences ranging from anesthesiology to robotic surgery.

Sophie Austin, Pooja Sarin and Stuart Bumgarner, Park Scholars at N.C. State University, participated in a multi-week internship this summer involving the Park Scholarship program and the pediatrics and cardiovascular sciences departments at ECU.

Sarin, 21, a rising senior, is the daughter of Sanjiv and Ratna Sarin of Greensboro. Majoring in biomedical engineering, she is a graduate of Western Guilford High School. Bumgarner, 20, a rising junior, is majoring in zoology. Both interned with the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at ECU. There, they practiced working with the robotic da Vinci Surgical System, viewed heart surgeries in the operating room and compiled videos of robot-assisted heart surgeries.

I would say definitely the highlight for me was seeing the mitral valve repair, Sarin said. Ive loved watching the da Vinci, coming from an engineering background.

But the most interesting part has been watching Dr. (W. Randolph) Chitwood interact with patients, she said. Hes so good with patients, and they love him. We always leave laughing.

He tries to bring humor into it, Bumgarner said of Chitwood, a professor and director of the East Carolina Heart Institute. It makes them more comfortable with him and trust him more.

Both said the experience has been worthwhile.

Weve not only gotten to learn a lot about the surgical side, Bumgarner said. Weve gotten to learn about the other fields of medicine such as cardiology and anesthesiology.

Its been pretty eye-opening, Sarin said. Their internship ended Friday.

Austin, 19, is a rising junior at N.C. State. The daughter of Lisa Austin of Eden, she is majoring in biology and plans to enter medical school after graduation. From late May until June 22, she shadowed ECU pediatric faculty members, residents and medical students.

Originally posted here:
ECU Notes: Scholars explore medicine

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