Med students from OUWB showcase work at Graduate Student Research Conference
An image of an OUWB student presenting her poster
M1 Chloe Connelly presents her research during the 9th Annual Graduate Student Research Conference on April 5. She was among 17 OUWB students who gave poster presentations.

Students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine once again had a strong showing at Oakland University’s annual showcase of graduate research.

The OU Graduate Student and Office of Research Administration hosted the 9th Annual Graduate Student Research Conference on April 5.

About 25 OUWB medical students joined others from across various OU schools to give oral and poster presentations on their work. OUWB students gave eight oral and 17 poster presentations.

The event started with introductions by Brandy Randall, Ph.D., dean, Graduate School, and professor, Psychology, and David Stone, Ph.D., vice president, Research, and professor, Health Sciences and Philosophy.

Stone told the crowd that they were proud of the students’ work, and that the students should always seek new ideas and step out of their comfort zones.

“Following the method can seem like the best and safest choice, but just remember it's a choice,” Stone said.

Keynote speaker Martha Peaslee Levine, M.D., associate professor, Psychiatry and Humanities, Penn State College of Medicine, told the crowd about her personal struggles with “Imposter Syndrome” and how she found confidence and collaboration in navigating obstacles when pursuing her passion.

“Don't let self-doubt hold you back, collaborate, and watch for opportunities to take them. If a door closes don't stand staring at it, look for that other door. Your path may be hard at times but if you’re resilient, find your passions the ones that fuel you,” Levine said.

Following the keynote, students gave oral presentations.

An image of an OUWB student giving an oral presentation

Ekaterina Lavroushina Clark, M3, was among the OUWB students who gave oral presentations. 

Lauren Eberhardt, M4, presented, “A Comparison of Post-Operative Pain Management Following Lumbar Laminectomy Fusions Utilizing TLIP or Intra-operative Local Anesthesia Block.”

“This is important for my future medical career not just as a physician, but as a physician scientist, because being able to present information and articulate it well is a skill that needs to be practiced over time,” she said.

“Being able to do this in a safe space with opportunity to grow, have people ask questions, and present your results is a valuable skill,” Eberhardt added.

Jacob Coleman, M2, presented, “Video Assessment and Comparison of the Frequency and Evaluations of Head Collision Events During the 2022 Men’s FIFA World Cup Tournament.”

He said that he feels “blessed” to have the school give this opportunity.

“It makes me feel like I'm part of the medical society,” he said. “It demonstrates how research and findings are shared with others in the medical society.”

Others who did oral presentations like Madison Romanski, M3, indicated that they appreciated building their public speaking skills when presenting their research to faculty and classmates.

Romanski’s presentation was “DRESS Syndrome Complicated by Myopericarditis Successfully Managed by Orthotopic Heart Transplantation: A Case Report.”

“This is my first time doing an oral presentation,” she said. “It was different in preparation and having a set script of what I wanted to say. It was a good learning experience.”

Following the oral presentations, posters were presented in the Oakland Center’s Founders Ballroom.

An image of an OUWB student presenting his posterNolan Shoukri, M3, presented his poster called, “EKG Changes from Ganglionic Plexi Ablation in Addition to Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Afib Ablation.”

Nolan Shoukri, M3, presented his poster called, “EKG Changes from Ganglionic Plexi Ablation in Addition to Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Afib Ablation.”

He said cardiology is his main area of interest and decided to research atrial fibrillation.

“Presenting to students that are at my level is great practice, because they can tell me how I did,” he said.  

Shahrukh Naseer, M3, presented a poster titled "Veracity Enhancement Using Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: A Systematic Review.”

Naseer also has done research in orthopaedics and ophthalmology.

“With each facet of research I undertake, I gain so much insight about these different subjects and learn there's a niche to find,” he said.

Naseer, Shoukri, and other student presenters all shared the same feelings about the conference: the pride from all the time and effort it took to be able to have this opportunity.

“As medical students, we're lifelong learners. If there's a topic that you're interested in, you dig deeper, because then you'll learn about that topic more in depth. You helped contribute to science and potential changes later,” said Alina Avetisyan, M3.

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