LSU Science Claims Five Spots in MD Anderson Summer Externship

 

 

 

 

Morgan Alston devotes her time to volunteering at a hospice care unit. Peter Issa recalls the moment a doctor saved his family member’s life. Benjamin Chanes is continuing a family legacy. Mary Kathryn Maxwell grew up observing and learning from her pathologist father. And Jonathan Aphaiyarath finds gratification in serving those who are most in need.

Each of these LSU biological science students, who a month ago found his or herself opening an acceptance letter into the prestigious MD Anderson Summer Externship program, have something driving them in their pursuit of medical expertise. Each of them feels like they have something to give—and something to give back.

The MD Anderson Summer Externship program has been open to LSU students since 2016, and LSU has filled at least five of the 12 spots available for four of those years.

“This experience will give these students a real appreciation for what academic medicine and medical research is like at a major center, as well as some insight into what they can expect with medical school,” said Cynthia Peterson, the dean of the LSU College of Science.

Participants spend a demanding four weeks shadowing MD Anderson’s world-renowned physicians in real-time, learning the ins-and-outs of patient care, surgical practices, and cancer research. The experience is more than just a shadowing opportunity. It’s a unique foundation created by real physicians to help better define these critical years before medical school.

Alston, a sophomore biological sciences major from Houma, La., said, for her, it’s not about being a world-renowned physician or making a significant scientific discovery. All that matters to her is becoming a doctor that people can trust in their moment of need. Beyond hospice care, Alston has dedicated countless hours to community service through various organizations, including Kappa Delta and Global Brigades.

“I just have a passion for people, and in medicine, you get to serve people when they’re in their most vulnerable state, and that’s just a whole new level of service,” she said.

Issa, a sophomore biological sciences major from Baton Rouge, said playing sports and being an active child certainly contributed to his desire to learn and better understand how the body naturally works. However, growing up, the spark that triggered his future pursuit of medicine was the neurosurgeon who saved a family member’s life.

“If I can provide the same kind of comfort to even a fraction of my own patients and their family members that he did, that would be amazing,” he said. “Medicine has intervened several times in my life—it’s crazy—, and you just can’t get more reassurance on your own path than that.”

Chanes, a junior biological sciences major from Metairie, La., had a passion for science and medicine at an early age thanks to a family of current, and soon-to-be, physicians. Chanes’ older brother, Nicolas, is an LSU science alumnus who previously participated in the MD Anderson program in 2018. It was hearing about his life-changing experiences from that summer that convinced the younger brother to pursue a similar path. Additionally, Chanes’ mother currently works as a nurse, and his grandfather recently retired after 35 years of practicing medicine.

“[My family] has always had my back and has always inspired me,” he said. “It’s crazy to have a brother going through it and a grandfather who went through it. It’s my passion, too, but it’s kind of cool to be a part of it with them.”

Maxwell, a sophomore biological sciences major from Ruston, La., grew up playing doctor in an actual medical lab surrounded by all the inspiration a child could need to eventually become the real thing. Unlike most students interested in medicine, Maxwell has already experienced more than just the basic medical practices one could expect at that age thanks to her father’s career studying the causes and effects of diseases.

“By my sophomore year of high school, I had already touched a beating heart, seen breast augmentations and two carotid artery surgeries,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot already at my age, and that is what’s really gotten me into surgery, but it was really [my dad] who jumpstarted it.”

Aphaiyarath, a junior biological sciences major from New Iberia, La., wasn’t intending to pursue medicine. In fact, he was set on becoming a chemical engineer, but a high school volunteer program that provided Aphaiyarath the chance to shadow physicians in the hospital shifted his interests. From there, he became a certified nursing assistant before even graduating from high school and worked at nursing homes and with hospital-bound patients.

“Providing care in whatever way, even those small tasks, like bed baths and cleaning patients, just being that person for them and helping them feel better about themselves, that’s when I realized that this path was meant for me,” he said.

At the end of their experience, the students will know what it means to actually deliver care, including the medical challenges of diagnosis and the delivery of difficult treatment regimens. Most importantly, students will develop an appreciation for the patient-physician relationship. The program also aims at helping participants develop relationships that they might nurture for mentoring or lab experience.

The mission of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education of undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public. For more information on MD Anderson, visit their website at www.mdanderson.org.