DECEMBER 2019

Interview with Campus Deans
by Brianna Basinger Covin, M2

Where did you go for undergrad, and what was your major?

Dr. Columbus: I received my undergraduate degree from UT Austin; my major was zoology.

Dr. Pieratt: Texas A&M class of ’88, BS in biology.

Dr. Wieters: I applied to A&M out of high school and got the “We regret to inform you …”  letter of rejection. They were right; I wasn’t an impressive academic student in high school.  I was clearly devastated, but it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I then committed to overcome that rejection. It fueled me to spend a year learning how to recover, study, and apply myself to academics. I transferred to A&M as a sophomore, excelled in biomedical science, and graduated in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of ’97.

What made you want to become a doctor?

Dr. Columbus: I enjoyed science and liked helping others.

Dr. Pieratt: Short answer: my parents (it’s a long story).

Dr. Wieters: I didn’t know what I wanted to do until my sophomore year of college. My dentist, who was a good family friend, challenged me to check it out.  I started volunteering in the ER in college and saw how the doctors were able to help folks on the worst day of their life. That really landed well with me. I had a vision of being a small-town pediatrician in the romantic Texas Hill Country where I would take care of the children in Fredericksburg or maybe Kerrville. 

What is your specialty, and how did you choose it?

Dr. Columbus: My specialty is infectious diseases—my favorite subjects in undergrad and medical school were microbiology and immunology. I was fascinated by the impact of infectious diseases on human history, plus, I had a great mentor in residency who was an ID physician. 

Dr. Pieratt: Internal medicine; I love the variety of problems, the diagnostic challenges, and the long-term patient relationships that develop over years of caring for someone and working with them toward optimal health.

Dr. Wieters: During my surgery clerkship, we were down in the ER consulting on a patient.  As we were waiting for some test results to return, I heard some commotion and peeked around a curtain leading to another room. Inside was a critical patient with around a dozen people swarming around. At the head of the bed was a guy in a facemask and gown running the code who caught me gawking.  He gave me the universal finger gesture to come toward him. “You a med student?” He asked. “Yes sir!” I replied. “This guy needs to be intubated, you ever done that?” I shook my head no. He then took my hands and used them to intubate the patient, kind of like when your dad would lift you up to dunk a basketball.  The patient was stabilized and whisked off for more tests. As I was coming down from my adrenaline rush, I turned around; the masked code leader was gone. I never saw his face or knew his name, but I later found out he was an EM resident. I then decided I was going to be an emergency physician like this guy who organized a chaotic situation, saved someone’s life, and then went on to help the next patient. 

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Dr. Columbus: In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, travel, and taking French language classes.

Dr. Pieratt: I am a serial hobbyist with past deep-dives (no pun intended) into golf, cycling, hunting, and scuba diving; currently, I’m “between hobbies,” except for travel and food.

Dr. Wieters: Chasing my 4 kids and hanging out with my amazing wife. We enjoy outdoor activities such as wake surfing in the summer, mountain biking, trail running, hiking, and skiing in the winter.  

What is the best piece of advice you've received?

Dr. Columbus: Don't buy a house until you have been in practice at least two years—pay down those school debts!  

Dr. Pieratt: Get the work that you know about done early so you have time for the work that will present itself as the day unfolds. Also, keep the thank-you notes.

Dr. Wieters: “Just take care of the patient.” -David Morgan. When you put the patient first, it is hard to fault your efforts.

“The hardest part of any job is finishing.” -Dad

What is something you would tell your younger self?

Dr. Columbus: Perfect is the enemy of good.

Dr. Pieratt: Don’t be in such a hurry.

Dr. Wieters: After I’ve scolded and warned him about all the knuckleheaded things I’ve done, I’d say, “Focus on joy and practice contentment.” Don’t wish away your current situation expecting for the next stage of life to be a better destination. Enjoy every day and make the most of where you are. 

What is your favorite book (or one you recommend)?

Dr. Columbus: Anything by Dr. Abraham Verghese. 

Dr. Pieratt: As a follower of Christ, my Bible.

Dr. Wieters: It may be cliché, but the Bible is pretty tough to beat. I’ll read anything by Tim Keller, and reading Malcolm Gladwell is like eating nachos…I just can’t stop. 

What is something on your bucket list?

Dr. Columbus: To see the Aurora Borealis!

Dr. Pieratt: Climbing Kilimanjaro.

Dr. Wieters: Finish an Ironman Triathlon. 

If you could only dine at one restaurant for the rest of your life, where would you choose?

Dr. Columbus: That’s a hard one—there are so many that I like!

Dr. Pieratt: Breakfast at Brennan’s in New Orleans.

Dr. Wieters: I love to cook and would be perfectly content poolside in my backyard kitchen with my family and friends. 

What piece of advice would you give to current medical students?

Dr. Columbus- Focus fully on each learning experience—regardless of the field of medicine you ultimately pursue, you will learn valuable lessons from each area of study.

Dr. Pieratt- Stay curious. And keep the thank-you notes.

Dr. Wieters- “Just take care of the patient.” -David Morgan. When you put the patient first, it is hard to fault your efforts. 

“The hardest part of any job is finishing” -Dad 

“Focus on joy and practice contentment.” Don’t wish away your current situation expecting for the next stage of life to be a better destination. Enjoy every day and make the most of where you are.             

The Athlete Within the Doctor
by Carolina Orsi, M3

The same holds true in medicine.  

My medical student career started in July 2017 with the onset of rigorous coursework, long hours of studying, and eventual implementation of skills in the hospital. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to hear physicians express the same message I received in sports training: “You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.” In medicine, it’s a battle between one’s current knowledge and the vast bulk of knowledge and skills we have yet to learn that comes so easily to practicing doctors. Yes, even as a third year I’m scared I will mess up a suture or make the incorrect diagnosis. Yes, when I’m listening to a patient in the clinic I can feel panicked when I realize that I don’t know what do to next. It’s easy to feel inadequate. But once again, I consciously remind myself every day to mentally engage and keep perspective of where I stand on my path. I accept the feelings of uncertainty when solving problems and allow them to propel me to learn from others, search for answers, and grow internally. With every suture I perfect and clinical task I master, I feel my experience molding from the adversities that came before.  

Winning championship rings and playing elite level soccer with a hard-working team around me has truly been the greatest gift. Even now, I wear my gameday ponytail braid to feel the empowerment and focus I experienced when stepping onto the field. My athletic journey was brutal, challenging, and overwhelming, yet it was also so incredibly rewarding. I expect nothing less from the medical profession. My desire to aim for excellence in medicine brews from the mental strength I gained as an athlete. Only now, my scrub cap is my new pair of shin guards; my stethoscope is my new soccer ball; and my white coat is my new jersey. 

“Process spurs progress, and progress primes us to persist.” —The Passion Paradox 

MREB II
by Xin Wu, MD

White Coat Experience Reflection
by Cerci Hammons, M1

“Do you have any more questions for me? What about any comments or concerns? No? Okay, thank you so much for your time, Ms. Netters. I hope you have a great rest of your day.” 

Well, I have a few questions, or rather a few thoughts, I think to myself while I exit the room. Who let me in here? Who do I think I am? I love my new turtle pin, though. Oh shoot! Look, I have a small coffee stain on my new pressed white coat; I hope she didn’t see that. Wait, did I get her whole family history? Yes, I did. What about her last menstrual period and pregnancies? Yeah, I got everything. What about empathy, did I do enough? Yeah. Oh yeah, now that I have a white coat and just finished my second week of medical school, I am suddenly able to see a patient on my own … this is insane. But I did it. It wasn’t that bad. I am officially on my way. I can do this. Darn, what about allergies? Well, hopefully I can manage to keep my coffee in its cup, stay a student doctor, and not die of internal thoughts. Is that a thing?

My first White Coat Experience was everything I had imagined it would be, and it came a lot sooner than I thought it would. After only 14 days, I was capable of seeing a patient on my own, collecting a family history, and doing it all for a grade. Crazy, right?! Talk about drinking from a fire hose! Coming from a large family, you never know what to expect— much less after being the youngest of nine siblings, and still managing to be the first in your family’s ENTIRETY to go to college. I could not believe I had managed to get my white coat, go to a public health facility, see my first patient unsupervised, and be my own boss. 

I felt official. I felt proud. I felt accomplished. I felt ready to save lives … although the only lives I was saving were those of no more than a few trees when I decided to write on my iPad rather than paper. However, I also felt the nervousness of making sure I was thorough enough to ask every question and spell every word correctly; I wanted to make sure to dot every i and cross every t. I was self-conscious of if I reviewed every system when jotting down every allergy, because, although I wasn’t prescribing medication nor recommending any, nor presenting for an actual surgery or hospital visit, or doing anything remotely significant in the grand scheme of medicine, a tiny voice, louder than all the others, constantly reminded me, “What if the medicine I miss is the one that could actually kill the patient?” 

It was immensely powerful how quickly your heart could skip 20 beats and how suddenly you could get high blood pressure, asthma, and have a slight dizzy spell. It manages to last for 15 minutes while you ask a complete stranger a few questions, when suddenly, it disappears. All of the practicing we did as children in our white sweaters with plastic stethoscopes were no match for being medical students in white coats, or residents on their first set of rounds. As the stakes get higher, the temperature rises, and you can’t help but feel the heat. You suddenly realize that nothing can quite prepare you for what you may encounter after you say, “ Hello, my name is Dr. {insert last name here}, what brings you in today?” 

Luke Mascarenhas, Chairman of the Board
Andrew Haskell, CT(ASCP)CM, Managing and Acquisition Editor
Michelle Won, Design Editor Sara Ali, Junior Staff Member

thank you:

A special thanks to ... 
Dr. Karen Wakefield for being our faculty editor, and
Dr. Barbara Gastel for serving as editorial mentor.

The Synapse is sponsored by the Department of Humanities in Medicine at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine.