ALUMNI HEAR from MD/P h D PROGRAM

JEFF CHEN, MD, PHD

Internal Medicine Resident, UT Southwestern

Q: How did UK’s MD/PhD training prepare you for your current role?

A: The most important thing research training – and research training at Kentucky – taught me was to not be afraid of being wrong, and to be persistent. That attitude has helped me be more efficient in learning and unafraid to try new things.

BENJAMIN FOWLER, MD, PHD

Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellow, University of Wisconsin

Q: What did you enjoy about your MD/PhD training at UK?

A: The MD/PhD program created an environment that allowed me to develop the foundational skills and mindset of a clinician-scientist. Regular meetings and program retreats were key in honing my focus and maintaining a goal to have a career in medicine and research. Also, the quality of life in Lexington is superb!

MEGHAN HANEY MD, PHD

Pediatric Resident, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Q: Would you recommend this program to others, and if so, why?

A: I would highly recommend the UK MD/PhD program to others. I feel like the program really invested in me as an individual and allowed me to customize my training path to set me up for success. The faculty and staff involved with the program are outstanding, and the medical school and graduate school training are both incredible. I made lifelong friends and mentors at UK, and choosing to go to UK was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

ESE IGHODARO, MD, PHD

Neurology Resident, Mayo Clinic

(Matriculating into Stroke Fellowship Program, Emory University)

Q: How did UK’s MD/PhD training prepare you for your current role?

A: My career goal is to understand the racial etiologies of health disparities within neurology. The combined MD/PhD training laid the groundwork for my career as a health disparities researcher and neurology clinician. I’m thankful for the supportive network led by Dr. Susan Smyth and Therese Stearns, my PhD mentor Dr. Peter Nelson, and lab colleagues within the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.