NATHAN MALL, MD
Third Year Resident
Fun Fact: Logged 453 actual surgical procedures during 2nd year of residency
Dr. Nathan Mall focused on Washington University’s Department of Orthopedics early in the residency application process when he attended an annual meeting of the Academy of Orthopedic Surgery. “I was amazed to see the number of attending physicians from Washington University who were teaching instructional courses,” he recalls. “They vastly outnumbered physicians from other programs and I figured that if the physicians already in practice were paying to be taught by the physicians at Wash U, it must be a great place to train.”
Dr. Mall, a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., further solidified his choice for a residency program after participating in Washington University’s orthopedic externship during his final year of medical school. The externship allowed Dr. Mall the opportunity to rotate through various sub-specialties and see the orthopedic training program firsthand.
“I interviewed at many of the top-rated residency programs,” says Dr. Mall. “When it came to the variety, depth and quality of my orthopedic education, however, Washington University stood alone as my top choice.”
Dr. Mall has good advice for those evaluating where they want to apply for residency programs. First, he focused on the quality of each program. “The first question I asked chief residents was ‘would you feel comfortable coming out of this program and going directly into practice?’ This enabled me to get a clear idea of the opportunities for operative experience in a particular program.”
He noticed that chief residents at Washington University were very comfortable with the vast majority of surgical procedures encountered. He also found that the more experienced physicians were eager to help junior residents.
“Because of the physicians’ willingness to help us learn and expand our skills, I logged more than 450 actual surgical procedures during my second year of residency here,” says Dr. Mall.
He also asked about opportunities to work in multiple sub-specialties and tallied the number of attending physicians in each specialty. “I believe this allows residents to see different ways of interacting with patients and discuss a wide variety of treatment and surgical options,” he explains.
In evaluating lifestyle attributes, Dr. Mall believes that there needs to be both community cultural and social activities as well as an atmosphere of congeniality within the residency program itself. Because he has a wife and young daughter, he wanted a place where family activities were readily available. “The Magic House here is rated as a top attraction in the country for kids and is undergoing expansion. The St. Louis Zoo is considered one of the top three zoos in the country, and admission is free. There also are multiple swimming pools and playgrounds spread throughout the city and counties. We are finding new things to do with our daughter all the time.
“In addition, I wanted a place where residents and attending physicians not only had a good working relationship, but also were able to socialize and interact in more casual settings. The residents here all get along exceptionally well, regardless of their tenure in the training program, which makes this a great atmosphere in which to work and learn.”
Now in his third year of residency, Dr. Mall says the Washington University Orthopedic residency program has met all of his expectations. He has rotated through the orthopedics sub-specialties, built strong friendships and working relationships with other residents and attending physicians, and found a place where his family is happy. Opportunities for research and one-on-one mentoring by nationally renowned surgeons have added to the positive residency experience.
“In orthopedics, we have a unique opportunity to truly change the quality of someone’s life,” Dr. Mall says. “The Department of Orthopedics at Washington University School of Medicine truly cares about giving us the best training experience possible and it has the track record to prove it. The residents coming out of this institution have no problem getting top fellowship positions.”
MUYIBAT ADELANI, MD
First Year Resident
Fun Fact: St. Louis Rams fan!
For Dr. Muyibat Adelani, the transition from medical student to resident has been an eye-opening experience. “Just weeks ago, I was a student, learning from other physicians and residents,” she says excitedly. “Now, I’m able to participate directly in a patient’s care under the guidance of an attending physician. It’s exciting to begin doing things on my own and learning in such a stimulating environment.”
In her first month, Dr. Adelani jumped directly into emergency room experience. “I was surprised with the willingness of attending physicians to let me discuss diagnosis and treatment plans right away, They’re always here to guide me, help me resolve some questions, and tell me how best to approach each case.”
Dr. Adelani, originally from St. Louis, went to the University of Southern California for her undergraduate degree and earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. Comfortable in both large and small cities, Dr. Adelani returned to St. Louis for the opportunity to train in a new environment, yet be closer to home.
“Washington University was number one for me,” she says. “I knew that the orthopedics department was committed to giving its residents the best possible experience. We rotate through all of the subspecialties and see how nationally recognized physicians care for their patients. We also are able to interact with attending physicians at all stages of their careers — from the new attending physicians just finishing up fellowships to those who have had many years of experience. It’s that variety that provides such a stimulating environment to learn. Also, the addition of the new orthopedic outpatient facility offers residents the opportunity to experience different practice settings.”
Dr. Adelani says the variety broadens her experience and allows her to explore multiple orthopedic sub-specialties.
“So far, I am interested in oncology and joint replacement,” says Dr. Adelani. “There are so many opportunities to explore. Now that I’m here, I can see that the department is committed to making this a great residency experience.”
NADER NASSIF, MD
Third Year Resident
Fun Fact: Training for his Third Marathon!
“I’m the engineering type.” Dr. Nader Nassif laughs as he describes why he decided upon orthopedics as a medical specialty. “Some orthopedists are athletes, others are more like engineers — they like problem-solving and figuring out what’s wrong and then how to fix it. That’s me.”
A graduate of Harvard Medical School as well as the University of California-Irvine, Dr. Nassif says the best part about being a resident with Washington University Orthopedics is the size of the program. “Size does matter,” he explains. “This is a strong, personalized training program that offers multiple opportunities for residents to learn about sub-specialties and gain first-hand experience with internationally known physicians.”
Curriculum within the residency program, he says, is first rate, but Dr. Nassif also credits the mentoring atmosphere among residents and attending physicians. “We learn both through one-on-one mentoring as well as collaborative teamwork. The attending physicians guide us in learning and refining our surgical skills and then they really ramp up responsibilities as our skills improve.”
Expertise grows quickly while serving as a resident in a leading trauma hospital. Dr. Nassif remembers one particular patient who came in with a challenging situation. “The patient was diagnosed with a ruptured patellar tendon,” he recalls. “When we performed the surgery to begin the repair, the rupture wasn’t exactly what we thought it would be. The attending physician and I talked it over and he guided me through the thought process to handle something unexpected. I’ve used that entire experience to better understand how to approach difficult cases. I think opportunities like these make you a much better surgeon and physician.”
Now into his third year of residency, Dr. Nassif rotates through orthopedic subspecialties two months at a time. “It’s amazing to see how far I’ve come in just a year,” he says.
“I still talk to my Harvard Medical School friends who are in other prominent orthopedic surgery residency programs and some of their experiences can’t compare to what I’ve had in St. Louis with Washington University. Here, we have the high caliber of physicians, the dynamic learning environment and a collaborative atmosphere.”
For someone who has lived on both coasts and now makes his home in the Midwest, Dr. Nassif says St. Louis and Washington University Orthopedics together make a dynamic place to live and learn to be an orthopedic surgeon.
“I’m not missing anything that’s available on either coast,” he says. “Well, maybe cheap lobster at times, but the residency program is definitely first rate!”
SUMEET GARG, MD
Fun Fact: Training for the Chicago marathon
For Dr. Sumeet Garg, it was an opportunity to see firsthand what otherwise would have been only case studies in textbooks. This year, Dr. Garg, one of six senior residents training with Washington University’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, spent two weeks in Vellore, India as part of the department’s dynamic international residency rotation.
“I worked directly with prominent pediatric orthopaedic surgeons at Christian Medical College and Hospital, which is ranked among the best medical schools and hospitals in India,” says Dr. Garg. “I was involved with 25 to 30 surgical cases a week and rotated through patient clinics seeing everything from fractures to congenital deformities and even rare cases of cancer.”
The international rotation, paid entirely by the department or through student grants from organizations such as Orthopedics Overseas, is a chance for senior residents to see how medicine is practiced outside of the United States. What makes it unique is that the residents are allowed to select their own locations for an international experience.
“We did not want to offer only one option for their international experience, “says Rick Wright, MD, a Washington University orthopaedic surgeon and Residency Director. “We offer in-depth, personalized opportunities for medical and surgical training here in St. Louis and then, in the last year, allow residents to research and select their own locations for an international rotation. It broadens their experiences, allows them to contrast and compare U.S. medicine with practices in other countries, and hopefully fosters a compassionate spirit for them to consider donating time and talents to those less fortunate in the future.”
The elective international rotations began in 2007. Among the sites selected have been travels to:
- South America — Knee replacement surgery
- China — Club foot treatment
- Bhutan — General orthopaedics
- France — Shoulder surgery
- India — Pediatric orthopaedics
Dr. Garg, who graduated from Harvard Medical School, says he talked with orthopaedic fellows not only in the United States but also in Europe to select a location for a premier pediatric orthopaedics rotation. “A German orthopaedic fellow told me about a surgeon in India who was friendly, approachable, and extremely knowledgeable. I was also told that I’d see pediatric cases from remote, rural villages as well as from wealthy regions of the country and that there was a strong likelihood that I’d see uncommon or even rare orthopaedic cases seen here only in textbooks. I jumped at the chance to complete my rotation there and the experience was amazing.”
“I’ve had residents tell me that the international rotation was the best thing they’ve done while in our residency program,” says Dr. Wright. “They have control over where they want to go and what they want to learn and it really reinvigorates their minds and spirits as they prepare to leave our program and become orthopaedic specialists themselves. It’s gratifying to me that they are so excited about their future even as we have prepared them to be among the best surgeons in the country.”
Dr. Garg, who remains committed to pediatric orthopaedics, has worked with children almost his entire life — both as a camp counselor and on various sports teams. He plans to pursue a fellowship in pediatric scoliosis when he leaves Washington University. “I enjoy taking care of kids,” he says. “I’ve had the opportunity to work side by side and train with some of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the country right here at Washington University. I appreciate the willingness and approachability of the faculty to foster our growth as surgeons and bring out the best in us. It’s been a great experience to be part of the residency program here.”