About me
Gender
Education & training
I was completely taken aback by how friendly everyone was (faculty, residents, staff, and the general populace). SIU was one of my first interviews and I found myself comparing all my other interviews to it. It's pretty rare to have a combination of a highly ranked program while at the same time having a friendly, constructive, and nonmalignant atmosphere. In the past, I've experienced learning environments that were unsavory and perpetuated a dog eat dog mentality. Even though I knew I could still succeed in that type of environment, if you have a choice, why wouldn't you choose a more compassionate atmosphere to be in for the next 6 years of your career? The attendings and residents were individuals that I aspired to be like not only in their surgical prowess but in how they teach and treat each other and everyone else. When talking to nurses and residents of other specialties and they mention how nice the "plastics" people are, that said a lot about a program to me. When it came down to the final rank list, SIU was the program that had the combination of reputation, faculty, residents, and research that aligned with my own goals and aspirations. I am very lucky and fortunate that they liked me too!
Research
TRAIL to treat breast cancer and recurrence (microsurgical viral vector to prevent recurrence coincident with reconstruction).