The Greater Memphis area is home to hospitals and medical research and teaching facilities that are ranked among the best in the nation. In the fall, senior chemistry major Parth Patel will be attending one of these institutions—the University of Tennessee Health Science Center— thanks to learning opportunities at area hospitals and Rhodes’ Health Professions Advising Office. Also recently at the college’s annual Awards Convocation, he received the 2024 Chemistry Research Senior Award for work done at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Patel, who is from Germantown, TN, joined the volunTEEN program at Baptist Memorial Hospital for two consecutive summers while attending Houston High School and now volunteers at an adult day center for Alzheimer’s patients. He also was one of the first emergency room volunteers starting back at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital after the pandemic. “Working with patients during every shift allows me to provide comfort and security to patients and their families while the healthcare team works on their treatment plan,” he said. On campus, Patel serves as a peer tutor for biochemistry and analytical chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and in his junior year was invited to become a member of Phi Beta Kappa, which is considered America’s oldest and most prestigious honor society.
During his first summer at Rhodes, Patel landed an internship with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and began conducting research with a group of physicians in the Diagnostic Imaging department, primarily focusing on optimization of minimally invasive procedures in interventional radiology. He helped in collecting the data and writing manuscripts. In 2021, the team’s work was honored with the Pioneers Award for Best Scientific Paper at the annual conference of the Society of Pediatric Interventional Radiology. Then in 2022, Patel presented research at the Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting and Scientific Assembly, which is the largest medical imaging forum in the world.
“Having the opportunity to work with experts in the field of interventional radiology has enhanced my ability to learn about the newest innovations in patient care, while solidifying my interest in medicine,” said Patel. “Having worked on studies from innovative methods from cryoablation for pulmonary metastases to optimization of PICC line placement standards in pediatric oncology patients, I am thankful to have had this experience that has allowed me to work firsthand on the newest advancements in medical research.”
“Parth also is writing a paper as the first author, and undergraduate students rarely co-author a peer-reviewed journal paper,” said Dr. Dhammika Muesse, associate professor of chemistry. The guidance he received from Rhodes’ Health Professions Advising Office and Muesse have been instrumental in Patel’s journey of one day becoming a physician.
“From office hours to supplemental instruction sessions, the meaningful relationships I have made with my professors and peers have allowed me to excel in my academic endeavors,” said Patel. “I credit the chemistry department in instilling the intellectual capacity and resiliency needed to be prepared for the rigors of medicine that lie ahead. Special thanks to Dr. Muesse for her teaching and support as my Rhodes advisor for the last four years.”
Related Article: Excellence in Medical Education: Rhodes Becomes Partners with University of Tennessee Health Science Center