Annual alumni-sponsored event helps M.D. students explore specialties

Feb. 27, 2018

There is nothing like learning from the experience of someone in the trenches. 

On Feb. 26, first-year M.D. students in the OHSU School of Medicine met with 43 local physicians from a broad array of specialties to learn firsthand about potential career paths and ask questions about the rewards and challenges of each specialty.

The evening event, called Medical Specialty Speed Dating, was hosted by the School of Medicine Alumni Association's Alumni Council. In a fun, friendly format, students met with practitioners in 20-minute increments, "speed dating" different specialties to see if there might be a match. 

The specialties represented were: anesthesiology, orthopedic surgery, cardiology, hematology/oncology, pathology, clinical informatics, infectious disease, pediatrics, dermatology, internal medicine, psychiatry, electrophysiology, nephrology, radiology, emergency medicine, neurology, trauma surgery, endocrinology, urology, family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, vascular surgery, general surgery and ophthalmology.

Ellie Schmidt, first-year M.D. student, helped organize the event for her classmates in her role as the M.D. Class of 2021 representative on the Alumni Council. "It was a great way to gain exposure to different areas of medicine and make connections with practicing physicians," she said. "I enjoyed learning about the variety of clinical practices represented, such as academic medicine and private practice, and the communities they serve. This event is an example of leveraging the varied professional experiences of OHSU alumni as we medical students look for exposure to health care fields and guidance about professional choices."

The Alumni Council wishes to thank the following physicians who participated in this year's event: 

Chidi Ani, M.D. F '17, John Meyer, M.D., Jeff Davis, M.D., Anand Jain, M.D., Brian Davidson, M.D. R '05 F '09, Scott Chadderdon, M.D. R '05 F '09, Bill Hersh, M.D., Nicole Fett, M.D., Babak Nazer, M.D., Thomas Dewland, M.D., Stephen Boyer, M.D. R '81, Barbara Wagner, M.D. R '73, Eric Orwoll, M.D. R '79, Katie Woods, M.D., Bastian Wagner, M.D. R '73, David Wagner, M.D. '67, Erin Gilbert, M.D., M.C.R. '14, Amanda Hayman, M.D. '05 M.P.H. '06, Kristina Haley, D.O., M.C.R. '16, Michael Heinrich, M.D. R '88 R '91, Dawn Nolt, M.D., Talia Kahn, M.D., Christopher Terndrup, M.D., Peter Sullivan, M.D. R '98, Sandra Iragorri, M.D., Jeff Kraakevik, M.D., Jeff Jensen, M.D. R '84, M.P.H., Lorri Wilson, M.D., David Noall, M.D. '71 R '77, Robert Smith, M.D. '75 R '77, Phil Raess, M.D., Ph.D. F '14, F '15, Karen Gunson, M.D. '81 R '85, David Sauer, M.D., Lindsay Taute, M.D., Sue Skinner, M.D. '89, Suki Conrad, M.D. F '17, Marc Gosselin, M.D, Neel Patel, M.D., Erika Schneble, D.O., Arvin Gee, M.D. R '10, Ph.D., F.A.C.S., John Barry, M.D. R '73, Rob Skinner, M.D. '85 R '91 and Khanh Nguyen, M.D. F '16.

Practitioners pictured, from top to bottom: Drs. Jeff Kraakevik, Sandra Iragorri, Steve Boyer, Barbara Wagner, Rob Skinner, Phil Raess, Karen Gunson