Research in Pediatric Surgery
Summer Research Leads to Extensive Publication, Valued Mentor: Research in Pediatric Surgery
By Adam Suchar, MS 4
Adam Suchar
The vast amount of research opportunities available to Pritzker students goes far beyond those listed in the Summer Research Program guidebook. I discovered the work of Dr. Donald Liu, Chief of Pediatric Surgery, during an internet search of University of Chicago physicians. At the time, I had no real interest in surgery, but was intrigued by one of the projects his webpage described.
My participation in the 2005 Summer Research Program and in subsequent research collaboration with Dr. Liu has resulted in two peer-reviewed publications, three additional manuscripts being prepared for publication, two invited talks (one at a national and the other at an international pediatric surgery conference), five abstracts presented at national and international surgical society meetings, and, most importantly, a direction to take in my medical career.
Adam Suchar presenting his research
My earliest work involved the development of a neonatal rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis and the use of that model to investigate the effect of a particular drug on the development of the disease. That same summer we initiated a project investigating the role of video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication in the treatment of advanced pneumonia in children, a project that resulted in an invited talk at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Surgical Congress and my first authorship of a paper published in the journal The American Surgeon in August 2006. Other subsequent projects included an investigation of the risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections in children undergoing a particular anti-reflux surgical procedure, the results of which were presented in an invited talk given at the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons in Buenos Aires, Argentina in September 2007.
The publications and related presentations of the research experience were intrinsically rewarding and educational, but were not the most important outcomes of the Summer Research Program experience. Of much greater impact for me personally was finding a mentor like Dr. Liu who fueled my growing admiration for the field of surgery and the work that surgeons do. Not only did he reinforce my interests, Dr. Liu also served as a model for a compassionate physician who loves what he does, takes pride in his work, and whom patients listen to, admire, and trust. In addition to working on research projects, Dr. Liu allowed me to shadow him in his clinic and in the operating room. It was there where I was afforded the opportunity to catch a glimpse of an academic surgeon’s life. I strongly believe that the Summer Research Program provides an early opportunity to work closely with faculty members who are some of the very best in their respective fields and has the potential to be a transformative experience. Other than taking an active role in patient care during my third year, no other experience at Pritzker has been as rewarding and impactful on my career path as the one that I initiated through the Summer Research Program.
