Two grew up overseas. One is returning to his hometown.
The medical students who recently matched with the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine—Jaimin Patel, Cole Rodman and Elizabeth Shay—will join 12 others in the department’s five-year residency program.
Each coming to Indianapolis from out-of-state schools, the soon-to-be first-year residents say they were impressed with the department’s enthusiasm after visiting IU School of Medicine and the Department of Otolaryngology during their residency search.
We reached out to them to hear about their interest in ENT and IU School of Medicine.
Jaimin Patel, MD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India and lived there until the age of 7. Afterwards, I moved to Bradenton, Florida, where I spent the remainder of my time prior to starting college.
What is your medical school/undergraduate background?
I am a Floridian at heart—by that I mean I went to the University of Florida for undergraduate education (Go Gators!) and then went to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for medical school. The only time I have left Florida was during a research year at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT?
My underlying reason to pursue a career in ENT stems from having the opportunity to play a role in crafting a patient's identity. I experienced this first-hand on a number of occasions, with family members to patients on rotation. A happy memory I relish is when a post-lingually deaf patient had his cochlear implant activated. Hearing his wife's voice again brought tears of joy down his face, restoring his identity.
What intrigued you about IU School of Medicine?
Beginning with the pre-interview dinner, I met a great group of residents, whom I imagined myself working with right away. They were welcoming, down to earth, and shared their experiences thus far while giving tips about the interview day. Their genuine enthusiasm for the program reinforced my decision to rank IU School of Medicine as my top choice. In addition to the residents, the interview day was also a great experience. IU has subspecialty-trained faculty members that cover all facets within otolaryngology. The training program is also designed around a multi-hospital system, allowing for a wide variety of training opportunities and patient experiences. Lastly, Indianapolis is a very family-friendly place to settle down as a young professional.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology?
Residency is a time to learn patient care, ask questions and develop your persona as an independent otolaryngologist. With guidance from the faculty members, I would like to nurture my own persona while establishing lifelong mentors. In addition, I hope to learn how to create a healthy work-life-balance from senior residents and discover hidden gems of Indianapolis with a great group of friends.
What are some of your hobbies?
Cooking, podcasts, hiking, traveling, dancing (free style/garba/bhangra), Netflix-binging, videogaming
Anything else you want your future colleagues to know?
I recently got engaged and hope to get married in 2021. She is an optometrist who will be doing a one-year residency in vision therapy in Austin, Texas.
Cole Rodman, MD, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Noblesville, Indiana.
What is your medical school/undergraduate background?
I went to DePauw University for undergrad, where I double majored in psychology and chemistry. After that I was at Indiana University for two years to get a master's degree in psychology, followed by medical school at Ohio State.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT?
I am pursuing ENT because ENT is the field that is most concerned with caring for the vital systems that allow us to engage with and experience the world. Speech, taste, smell and hearing all fall under the purview of the otolaryngologist and, to me, caring for those systems is immensely meaningful. In addition to the work, the individual practitioners I have had the opportunity to work with have all been such wonderful and positive people.
What intrigued you about IU School of Medicine?
I grew up in Indiana and actually received my Master's degree from Indiana University before going to medical school and so the thought of returning to my home state was incredibly exciting.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology?
Admittedly a tough question to answer well! Of course, I hope to learn both how to operate skillfully and how to approach the variety of clinical problems addressed by otolaryngologists. Additionally, I hope to learn how to engage with patients professionally and with empathy in order to build rapport and an impactful patient-physician relationship.
What are some of your hobbies?
My main hobbies are reading, cooking, writing, soccer, tennis, video games and board games. Anything else you want your future colleagues to know? I once toured Ecuador for three weeks on my bike!
Elizabeth Shay, MD, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Where did you grow up?
I was born and grew up on the island of Jamaica. I also spent four of my younger years in Barbados. I moved to the United States right when I started college.
What is your medical school/undergraduate background?
I attended college at Columbia University. I went to medical school at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT?
Otolaryngology combines my desire to treat people with disorders that compromise communication skills and quality of life with my desire to work with my hands. Having the ability, through surgery, to manipulate anatomy to restore function appeals to me.
What intrigued you about IU School of Medicine?
I enjoyed talking with the faculty and residents on my interview day. I could tell that the residents felt supported. I was also impressed by the research opportunities.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology?
How to be an outstanding surgeon and effective teacher. Also, all of the best restaurants in Indy.
What are some of your hobbies?
I enjoy writing poetry. I like watching NBA basketball. I guess I'll have to be a Pacers fan now!
Anything else you want your future colleagues to know?
I am looking forward to learning from and working with everyone in the department!
