Locum Tenens Doctor Steps into Key Role at New Jersey Hospital

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“Can you start tomorrow?”

Alex Kurjatko, MD ’11, a locum tenens physician, was in Oregon at the time. The call came from Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey, where COVID-19 continued to run rampant. He’s just one of hundreds of doctors who rushed to the tri-state area’s side to combat the virus.

In the span of 48 hours, Dr. Kurjatko obtained an emergency medical license in New Jersey—a process that usually takes weeks—made a pitstop at his residence in Minnesota, and traveled to Morristown to begin work on April 1.

“It’s nice to put my critical care training to use, and to return to an area where I did so many of my rotations as a medical student,” he said.

Dr. Kurjatko has been a locum tenens—Latin for “one who holds the place of”—since completing his surgery critical care fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. It has allowed him to travel throughout the US, obtaining licensure in seven states. Jobs tend to be in rural America where the physicians per capita can’t compare to urban areas. But with hospitals turning entire departments into intensive care units as a result of COVID-19, there was a dire need for physicians with critical care backgrounds.

Morristown has had to make some adjustments on the fly, with the projected number of intensive care patients challenging its capacity to hold them, necessitating new boundaries—and additional physicians. It was initially supposed to be a four-day stint for Dr. Kurjatko, but he’s now slated to work there through at least the end of May.

For Dr. Kurjatko, who has stepped into situations at crucial times before, it was a natural fit.

“Traveling has made it easy for me to step into situations like this and hit the ground running,” he said. “I don’t just want to sit back and watch everything happen and not be there to help people one way or the other.”

– Brett Mauser

AMSA SGU Receives Prestigious Chapter Success Award

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St. George’s University’s chapter of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) recently received international recognition, as it was honored with the Paul R. Wright Chapter Success Award at this year’s AMSA National Conference and Exposition.

The award, named after AMSA Executive Director Emeritus Paul R. Wright, emphasizes chapter commitment to improving member solidarity by promoting AMSA’s mission of inspiring future physicians through local events, innovative programming, leadership development, calls to action and the display of teamwork.

“We are honored and deeply humbled to receive this award,” said Tasha Phillips-Wilson, former president of AMSA SGU. “However, the best part about it is being able to give back to a place that has given us so much. We can never repay what Grenada has given us. St. George’s University has opened the door for us to fulfill our dreams and participating in AMSA SGU chapter activities is just one of the ways that we try to show our gratitude.”

AMSA National notified the students of their candidacy earlier this year and invited them to Washington, DC to receive the award at this year’s conference, scheduled for April 16-18. However, in light of travel restrictions and an ever-evolving situation related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, AMSA National made the necessary adjustments to the 2020 convention and awarded the students virtually. The conference included three days of more than 30 sessions, speakers, competitions, and fairs to join medical students from across the globe through full accessibility from the safety of their homes.

“Winning the Paul R. Wright Chapter Success Award at the 2020 AMSA National Convention in the US is an outstanding accomplishment by our AMSA SGU chapter,” praised Dr. C.V. Rao, dean of students at SGU. “It is a culmination of sustained efforts by our students for over the past two decades. It is also an acknowledgement of our students—future physicians, who have gone above the traditional requirements of the medical school curriculum. It recognizes their passion to help uplift the community even when they don’t necessarily have the time and inspires future medical students to go beyond the books and give more of themselves.”

The SGU chapter is the largest international AMSA chapter and is actively involved in the Grenadian community, coordinating health fairs, blood drives and promoting medical education on the island.

“Being a physician is about service, and AMSA SGU really takes that to heart,” said Ms. Phillips-Wilson. “Our team is always so excited about participating in the community health fair experiences because it parallels our future patient-physician relationships and allows us to build on those skills while serving the Grenadian community.”

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Today, AMSA is a student-governed, national organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. AMSA members are medical students, preclinical students, interns, residents, and practicing physicians. Founded in 1950, AMSA continues its commitment to improving medical training and has more than 62,000 national and international members.

–Ray-Donna Peters

450 SGU Grads Join COVID-19 Front Lines in New York-New Jersey Area Hospitals

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SGU alumni take a break during a shift at Queens Hospital Center to pose for a picture. Photo courtesy of Shivani Dave.

Gillian Woodruff, MD ’20 (expected), is “chomping at the bit” to get started as an internal medicine resident at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, NY—one of the hardest hit areas by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Ms. Woodruff, who aspires to be a gastroenterologist, joins 450 soon-to-be St. George’s University graduates who will enter residency this July at nearly 90 hospitals throughout New York and New Jersey. These new doctors will begin their careers across nine medical specialties, bringing much-needed help to facilities dealing with COVID-19.

With more than 150,000 cases of coronavirus in the New York City area alone (as of press time), Ms. Woodruff is well aware of the conditions she may enter at Queens Hospital when she begins her residency this summer.

“I have really been eager to be useful,” she said during a telephone interview from her home in Davis, CA. “Regardless of where I’m assigned, I am going to be supporting the pandemic effort, whether that’s taking care of primary care patients to free up another doctor or some other task that will be helpful. There is no uninvolved medical practitioner; everyone is going to be able to save lives from this, regardless of what they’re doing. I’m really proud and excited to be able to help in whatever way I can.”

Gillian Woodruff, MD ’20 (expected)

Gillian Woodruff, MD ’20 (expected), is eager to start as an internal medicine resident at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, NY—one of the hardest hit areas by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Hospitals throughout Greater New York City have been dealing with a record number of COVID cases and are in need of additional help to care for critically ill patients. SGU graduates who recently matched at New York and New Jersey hospitals will help to meet an immediate and growing demand for doctors in the region. Of those, 313 SGU students and graduates will start their residencies in hospitals in New York while 137 will begin their postgraduate training in hospitals in New Jersey. They join the 8,209 SGU graduates who have done their post-graduate training in New York and New Jersey hospitals over the years.

Overall, nearly 1,100 SGU students and graduates will begin their residencies across the United States and Canada this summer.

“We are very proud of our graduates and admire their dedication,” said Dr. Richard Liebowitz, vice chancellor of St. George’s University. “We know they are well prepared and ready for the challenge that will be presented to them when they begin their postgraduate training in a few months. These newly matched students join a large number of our alumni who are already part of the heroic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Fortifying Tri-State Area Hospitals

As a result of the crisis, Uchechukwu Uneze, MD ’20 (expected), who will start as an internal medicine resident at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, in Newark, NJ, expects to be much more hands-on with patients than a typical first-year resident would be.

“Our job is to provide relief for the other residents who are working tirelessly and helping them out in any way we can,” said Mr. Uneze, who eventually wants to go into pulmonary care. “In this situation I am going to be in a place where this pandemic has hit really hard. I kind of look at it as this is a rare opportunity to serve, learn, and care for patients, rather than learn from a textbook and experience it years later.”

Uchechukwu Uneze, MD ’20 (expected)

Uchechukwu Uneze, MD ’20 (expected), will start as an internal medicine resident at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, in Newark, NJ.

Mr. Uneze, who went to Rutgers University in Newark for his undergraduate degree, said living in an underserved area strengthened his interest in medicine as he witnessed how the community was affected by limited healthcare resources. He returned to Newark to complete his clinical rotations there and ranked the hospital for residency because “I thought I would be able make a positive impact in those areas,” he said.

Elsewhere in New Jersey, Payal Patel, MD ’20 (expected), will start as an internal medicine resident at Hackensack University Medical Center. Ms. Patel, who hails from Lake Placid, FL, picked Hackensack as her first choice after completing her clinical rotations there. She said its internal medicine program, with new faculty, a focus toward academic teaching, and connections to big hospitals, appealed to her.

Payal Patel, MD ’20 (expected)

Payal Patel, MD ’20 (expected), will start as an internal medicine resident at Hackensack University Medical Center this summer.

While the COVID-19 crisis does add an extra layer of concern, it will not deter her from fulfilling her dream of becoming a physician, she added.

“I’m definitely both nervous and excited [to start residency], because we’re going to be thrown into the deep end when we start,” said Ms. Patel, who aspires to be a primary care doctor or become a hospitalist. “The hospital is taking good care of its residents, and as long as there is enough PPE and precautions taken, I am ready to face that. I’ve been working toward this goal for 20 years.”

How are our doctors helping during the COVID pandemic? Send us your story ideas. You can also share your story with us on social media by tagging SGU or using the hashtag #WeAreSGU and #SGUAlumni. 

 

–Laurie Chartorynsky

Infectious Disease Grad Addressing Ever-Changing COVID Conditions

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Lorena Polo, MD '13, Infectious Disease Specialist at First Choice Health Centers, East Hartford, CT

Most patient visits start with obtaining a medical history, an all-important record of allergies, illnesses, and more that helps physicians formulate a diagnosis. With the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic sweeping the United States and countries around the world, clues in these histories can not only help an individual but affect the treatment of much larger populations.

“Infectious disease physicians are very good diagnosticians,” said Lorena Polo, MD ’13, an ID physician at First Choice Health Centers, an outpatient facility in East Hartford, CT. “You have to take very good histories from the patient. You have to be a good listener. And then you take the bits and pieces of information, see where they might have been exposed, create a story, and come up with a diagnosis.”

She remembers her first COVID-positive patient well—a patient in their 20s—well after the disease emerged elsewhere. Since then, her practice has seen a steady flow of patients who present with COVID-19 symptoms—fever, cough, shortness of breath. While some are admitted at local hospitals, a vast majority are treated at home. Even if patients have mild or no symptoms, they still pose the threat of transmitting the disease to other community members.

“A very large number of patients are battling this illness or recovering from it at home,” she said. “Often on the news, they are only showing the mortality or high morbidity aspects of the disease. And while important, this has also created a sense of anxiety because patients don’t know what to expect. Being afraid is a natural human response to the unknown, and we want to prevent that by making sure our patients are well informed.”

With governmental regulations changing by the week or even the day, Dr. Polo and her colleagues have made a point to stay up to the minute themselves so they can safely care for their patients. The situation is changing so quickly that infectious disease fellowship books are being updated with COVID-19 information as it becomes available.

Infectious disease physicians are more than prepared for common afflictions such as influenza, pneumonia, staph infections, and more. With familiarity, the symptoms are easy to identify and the procedure to treat is spelled out. However, like past outbreaks of diseases such as SARS, MERS, and Ebola, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the healthcare community to come up with a treatment and a cure in a short period of time.

“We’ve trained for infections that may have been imported from other countries. We live in a society where there’s a lot of travel both domestically and internationally. We’re familiar with it because of the way that society has worked,” Dr. Polo said. “But no amount of fellowship training can prepare you for such a complex disease. It’s a very unique and challenging time.”

–Brett Mauser 

SGU Graduates Joining Front Lines in Brooklyn

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Patch.com recently published a news story titled “Doctors Trained Outside US Making an Impact in Brooklyn,” in which it outlined how SGU alumni are helping to address the borough’s healthcare disparities and fight COVID-19 on the front lines.

In the story, writer Jeff Arnold spoke with SGU Vice Chancellor Richard Liebowitz about the growing role of St. George’s graduates—and all IMGs—in New York City.

“International schools such as St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies are sending medical school graduates back to the United States to begin residencies and ultimately begin full-time work. Over the past four years, St. George’s has placed 454 graduates into residency programs across nine hospitals in Brooklyn with medical professionals filling roles as emergency medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, and pediatrics. This year alone, 126 graduates of the school will be placed in Brooklyn-based residency programs.”

Dr. Liebowitz also shed light on how international medical schools offer aspiring US doctors a clear path to medicine: “International schools fill a huge void, and I think the key thing is finding the international school that has the quality of the US school.”

SGU Preclinical Student Collaborates With Local Police to Encourage Social Distancing

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St. George’s University preclinical student Hiranya S recently collaborated with the police department in Tamil Nadu, India, on a song that preached social distancing.

According to the World Health Organization’s most recent report, India’s swift measures to prevent virus transmission have resulted in just over 16,000 positive tests, in a country of more than 1.3 billion people. Ms. Hiranya’s message encourages citizens to continue to take precaution.

Translated into English, the song reads …

There are possible ways to escape from corona virus attack, please listen.
government instructions will help us and doctors’ advice will guide us to face the virus infection
as individual by facing alone without fear. chase out the virus infection from our society
it is a deadly virus and dangerous, but if we are cautious, we can win.
it is important to wash your hands, and wear a mask
keep the distance
if you have cough, cold and fever, immediately do testing
if anybody have symptoms, you should inform
stay home, stay home, stay home.

stay at home and obey the law
if you roam around, you will get virus infection
we (the police) are protecting you and you must realize that
even though we know we will get infected, we are doing our duties to protect you
the police is your friend
the whole world is worrying about this situation
we have to save our lives; we have to save the mankind
stay home, stay home, stay home.

On the Front Lines of COVID-19: SGU Grad Shares Experiences Inside Psychiatric Hospital

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Ryan Salahi, MD '04, ER Physician at San Diego Psychiatric Hospital

Ryan Salahi, MD ’04, lead ER physician and chief of medical staff for the San Diego Psychiatric Hospital, describes the strong connection with his team that has made caring for their patients, many of whom are now COVID-19 positive, a little easier.

“Finding a balance during these stressful times can be difficult, but I work with great colleagues, administrators, nurses, social workers, and other staff, and we’re like a family—which helps immensely. I’m grateful for them,” Dr. Salahi said.

While a number of patients having been diagnosed with COVID-19, the hospital faces unique challenges due to the nature of his patient cohorts: it’s difficult for many of them to follow instructions, such as social distancing; and they are not allowed to be given masks for fear of wearing them inappropriately or risk of hurting themselves.

To help staff, the hospital has implemented new protective measures, including: the building of entry COVID-19 screening tents; the creation of a decontamination room/ante-room in the entrance to its quarantine/isolation unit where all staff are required to don full PPE and remove properly to decontaminate upon exiting the unit; separating patients who are positive COVID-19 from those who are not; temporary suspension of family visitations; and other changes. In addition, the hospital is able to get direct access to prioritized testing and PPE distributions from San Diego County’s Emergency Operations Center, and other helpful resources.

Dr. Salahi and team have been using extra lengths to educate their patients about the coronavirus. “Interestingly, our psychiatric patients, while often times difficult and argumentative, were extremely open to learning about COVID-19 and we were able to successfully test 100 percent of our inpatients with no refusals,” he added.

Many St. George’s University graduates like Dr. Salahi are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, using their expertise to treat those who are critically ill, joining teams searching for short- and long-term solutions, and contributing in many other ways to help patients in need. SGU is sharing a number of these stories, with the hope that by hearing the experiences of others who are making a difference around the world, we can help reaffirm our students and doctors’ commitment to the medical profession.

“I’ve always known I wanted to be a doctor. As doctors, we care for sick people. It’s what we’re trained to do,” he said.

How are our doctors helping during the COVID pandemic? Send us your story ideas. You can also share your story with us on social media by tagging SGU or using the hashtag #WeAreSGU and #SGUAlumni. 

– Laurie Chartorynsky

 

Ryan Salahi, MD '04, ER Physician at San Diego Psychiatric Hospital

First-Year IM Resident Shares How Coronavirus Pandemic Has Impacted His Training

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Matt Heckroth, MD '19, IM resident

Matt Heckroth, MD ’19, a first-year internal medicine resident at University of Louisville, was interviewed by his hometown local paper, the Tallahassee Democrat, on what its like to be a resident during COVID-19 pandemic.

“The things I am sure I am going to see over the next couple of weeks and the next couple of months are going to be helpful,” Heckroth told the newspaper. “We are learning about this virus and about how it affects people.”

Dr. Heckroth had a nontraditional path to medicine. The aspiring gastroenterologist originally wanted to become a professional baseball player. He was a highly touted pitching prospect before suffering a shoulder injury that prevented him from playing past his sophomore year in college.

He credited his strong relationship with his orthopedic surgeon for helping him decide on medicine.

Read Dr. Heckroth's Story

Former International Athlete Addressing COVID “Head-On” in Canada

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Dan Devlin, family medicine resident, Kelowna General Hospital, BC

Aspiring physicians from Canada have long used St. George’s University School of Medicine as a springboard to a career in medicine, and for SGU graduate Daniel Devlin, MD ’19, his journey was no exception. Now a first-year family medicine resident at the Kelowna General Hospital, in rural British Columbia, Dr. Devlin serves one of the largest medical centers between Calgary and Vancouver, Canada.

Now more than ever with the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, physicians like Dr. Devlin are being called to the frontlines to help fight against the virus. His vacation plans along with him competing in his first-ever triathlon this spring and summer have all been put on hold with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

“Everyone at our hospital—from housekeeping and maintenance to nurses and physicians—has all been working very hard to face this challenge head-on,” said Dr. Devlin. “Things like vacation plans are inconsequential when you look at the bigger picture. I feel like we all got into this job to help people in need, and we will continue to do that now and for the rest of our careers.”

His path back to Canada began when he enrolled in the St. George’s University of Grenada School of Medicine/Northumbria University Four- and Five-Year Program, for which students spend the first year of basic sciences in the United Kingdom. He called the program “a perfect fit.”

“Since I knew I was going to be a mature student, and didn’t want to waste any time in getting started, this program allowed me to begin in January, learn a new healthcare system, enjoy smaller class sizes and most importantly get the opportunity to secure a residency position back home in Canada,” he said.

However, before Dr. Devlin began his pursuit of a career in medicine, another career path opened up for him at age 15 when he joined his high school handball team. As a gifted athlete, he then progressed to the provincial level before eventually making it all the way to the Canadian national handball team in 2007.

“As an athlete on the national team, I got the opportunity to travel all throughout Europe and South America playing in international tournaments,” said Dr. Devlin. “I even met my fiancée, Kate, who was also a professional handball player with the Women’s Canadian team at the time.

The highlight of his career was his three trips to the Pan American Games—in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2007; Guadalajara, Mexico in 2011; and Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2015. He played one year professionally in France.

Although a successful athlete, Dr. Devlin always knew he would one day become a physician. At school, he excelled in the health sciences and could be seen after school soaking up information at the hospital where his mom worked as an x-ray technician. After graduating from university, he then became a nurse for nine years before entering medical school once things started to settle down in his athletic career.

“After reaching the pinnacle of my athletic career, it just seemed like the right time to retire and so, I decided to move on to pursue my childhood dream,” said Dr. Devlin. “After doing my research and checking out their information sessions, SGU was just the right call. In terms of timing, attending SGU worked out perfectly with my schedule—allowing me to play in my final Pan-Am Games during my summer break after my first semester.”

Today, Dr. Devlin is settling into his role as a first-year resident, splitting his time between practicing at the hospital and his family medicine clinic. He is also currently working on a quality improvement project analyzing the clinic to make sure it meets the national standard of guidelines set across Canada. The scholarly project would then strive to implement any changes or make improvements found in his research.

“As an international grad, I get asked by prospective students in information sessions all the time, ‘would I do it again’?” said Dr. Devlin. “And my answer would be ‘yes’ because my goal was to come back and be a physician in Canada, and SGU helped me to do that. It was my pathway to getting to where I wanted to be.”

That place is Kelowna, where he and his colleagues are working hard—and together—to address the ongoing pandemic.

“We will get through this at some point, and we have definitely felt the love and support from the city of Kelowna as we work to keep everyone safe and healthy,” he said.

–Ray-Donna Peters