Last year, third and fourth-year medical students were given the opportunity to engage virtually with peers and mentors while learning about the opportunities in IR. As part of the Grants for Education of Medical Students (GEMS) Program, first-generation medical students from underrepresented communities participated in a 6-week curriculum with leaders in the field.
“GEMS allows medical students to gain an in-depth understanding of IR through a more personal experience in a new environment,” said Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, FSIR, who founded the program in 2019 with support of his family and industry leaders. As a prelude to the residency application and interview process, GEMS enables selected third- and fourth-year medical students a chance to develop early mentoring relationships in IR and to broaden their professional networks. “This Program will facilitate connections between IR training programs and the next generation of IRs who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend these clerkships,” said Dr. Matsumoto.
The 2020 GEMS recipients.
The virtual curriculum came in lieu of the traditional GEMS Program format, which provides scholarships to fund visiting clerkships/rotations in IR. As 2020 and 2021 clerkship positions have been canceled due to COVID-19, the virtual GEMS Program creates an online community where students can have an in-depth learning experience with an emphasis on health equity and diversity, develop early relationships with IR mentors and broaden their networks.
IR Quarterly spoke with the three cycles of 2020 GEMS recipients about the nature of IR, why opportunities like the GEMS Program matter and what they gained from their experience.
Diego Hipolito Canario, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
“My desire to pursue a career in IR came about from my interest in surgery, research, and product design and development. IR relies on the creativity and innovation of interventional radiologists to drive medical breakthroughs and, as a result, it’s uniquely positioned to engage in translational research.”
Adlai Grayson, Howard University College of Medicine
“The GEMS Program was incredibly validating, both of my personal identity and my passion for IR. We received lectures on a range of pathologies and technologies, but what spoke to me was how our program mentors would point out that these therapies weren’t reaching everyone at all stages of health. We were challenged to think of health as an ethical issue and shown that everyone has a piece of the solution. I knew I wanted to practice IR for the clinical and innovative components, but GEMS made me realize that I also want to be a part of this community and culture of physicians.”
Daniel Giraldo Herrera, University of Virginia School of Medicine
“I often refer to the GEMS Program as a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic. The networking that may have occurred pre-pandemic with conference travel and audition rotations was instead condensed and doubtless enhanced within the platform of the GEMS Program. When I resumed IR rotations at my home program, I felt re-energized to pursue IR with a broader understanding of the history and future directions of current practice.”
Caroline Corban, University of Massachusetts Medical School
“I am the first student from my institution applying into Integrated IR Residency, and I can truly say that I don’t think I would have the expansive support network of IR faculty, residents and students without the resources and exposure that GEMS provided me. The virtual GEMS Program is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet students who come from all different racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and learn from numerous experts and pioneers in the field of IR across the country. I learned an immense amount about healthcare inequities in medicine and IR, and I aspire to continue to uphold the values of diversity and inclusion that GEMS supports throughout my career.”
Andrew Ko, University of Hawaii School of Medicine
“I applied to GEMS to immerse myself in IR. In addition to learning about the clinical aspects, my GEMS mentors went above and beyond to teach us about issues of equity and disparity in IR. Unfortunately, disparities exist not just within our own specialty but also in patients' access to IR. My experience in the GEMS Program taught me to think beyond the medical aspects of IR.”
Justin Hendrix, Indiana University School of Medicine
“My experience with the GEMS Program was a game-changer. My course allowed me to learn the various organ systems IR treats and gain greater awareness of intersectionality on IR’s place in social justice and health equity. I was always told growing up that you can’t be what you can’t see. In addition to my love for innovation, growing the diversity within the field fuels my passion for IR.”
Neha Mylarapu, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
“My school does not have a robust IR program, and I did not have opportunities to meet mentors in the field, and the GEMS Program seemed like a safe place to meet female mentors and students. Through the GEMS Program curriculum, my understanding of ways that IR can be incorporated into patient care has exponentially increased. Now, I see a multitude of opportunities in which IR can become part of the care team. Moreover, the GEMS Program gave us a safe space to ask difficult questions and learn strategies on how to deal with difficult scenarios. As a female, person of color and a current DO student, I know that I have and will face stigma for falling into one or more of those categories. The GEMS community allowed me to feel included and supported.”
I knew I wanted to practice IR for the clinical and innovative components, but GEMS made me realize that I also want to be a part of this community and culture of physicians.
Adlai Grayson
Krichelle White, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix
“I applied to GEMS to find a way to connect and integrate into a network I didn’t have access to. The GEMS curriculum helped me realize that there was so much more to IR than I had previously considered, and it made me excited and invigorated for my future in the specialty. It really cemented my belief that this is the path I want to take.”
Alexa Bolock, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
“I can't express how grateful I am that a program like this exists and better yet in the specialty that I dream of entering. Without in-person interviews, I am nervous about how to evaluate programs/health systems on LGBT+ visibility and acceptance, and I hoped would help connect me with mentors to ease my concerns. Additionally, this program enabled me to bridge the gap between my passions: IR and diversity and inclusion. Before now, I didn't think I would have an opportunity to be exposed to such sessions in medical school.”
Ashiya Hamirani, Penn State College of Medicine
“I knew at 12 years old I wanted to become a doctor and that it would be difficult considering my circumstances. With little guidance, I would be the first person in my family to go to college, in addition to becoming the first physician in my family. It was a challenging road to get to medical school having been an undocumented immigrant, and IR caught my attention during the first month of medical school when I learned about drug delivery systems and the uncharted territory that IR allows one to explore.”
