The Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) Visiting Student Scholarship Program, sponsored by the Department of Surgery, supports qualified 4th year medical students from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine in developing their clinical skills, abilities, and potential through a visiting rotation, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
Leah Gudex, a medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School, became interested in plastic and reconstructive surgery after hearing a presentation from a craniofacial plastic surgeon.
“I was drawn in by the artistry of the work along with the lifelong impact on children’s development and long-term relationships built with pediatric patients and their families,” Gudex said.
Gudex’s interest in surgery then solidified during her gap year in the Extracorporeal Life Support Lab, where she worked with a team to create pumpless pediatric artificial lungs that were then implanted in sheep. She enjoyed being a part of this intraoperative team and working towards a goal that was bigger than herself. This experience, combined with a shadowing opportunity where she witnessed the reconstruction of a 23-year-old woman after a dog bite to the face, helped Gudex figure out what specialty she wanted to focus on.
“From that point on, I was committed to reconstructive surgery to develop a skillset for people to regain identity and function, improving their quality of life,” Gudex said.
Gudex was drawn to the URiM Program in UW–Madison’s Department of Surgery for both personal and professional reasons.
“UW–Madison has been a special place for me since I went to my first Badgers game with my dad, a proud season ticket holder,” Gudex said. “Since then, I’ve created more memories, biking around the lakes with my best friend and celebrating her graduation from Law School at the Monona Terrace. I love the city, the community, the lakes and the green space in Madison.”
Gudex also wanted to have a supportive learning community during her surgical training. She became interested in the URiM Program at Wisconsin Surgery because of the collaborative culture and notable reputation.
“UW–Madison has an excellent reputation for developing technically skilled plastic surgeons with the vision and tenacity to be leaders in the field,” Gudex said. “UW–Madison has also built a culture of camaraderie and collaboration.”
During her rotation, Gudex is excited to build relationships with other sub-Is, residents, and faculty in the UW–Madison Department of Surgery. She is also looking forward to learning how another academic institution functions and seeing the types of cases completed in the department.
In the future, Gudex would like to work in academia so that she can complete complex reconstruction with multidisciplinary teams while also helping to educate and mentor future generations of surgeons. She also hopes to contribute to a tissue engineering research lab because she enjoys the critical thinking and collaboration.