A pair of M.D.-Ph.D. students have been featured in the winter 2017 issue of the Department of Internal Medicine’s research newsletter. The Class of 2017’s Bridget Quinn and Tim Kegelman are both preparing to graduate this spring and hoping for a residency match in radiation oncology.

M.D.-Ph.D. student Bridget Quinn is preparing to graduate from the program this spring and hoping for a residency match in radiation oncology.

Originally from central New Jersey, Bridget Quinn earned her bachelor’s degree from Loyola University in Maryland and then she spent two years doing ovarian cancer research at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia before entering medical school. Quinn had been drawn to a career in clinical medicine since she was young, but it was the two years she spent in the lab after college that pushed her to pursue a dual degree.

The M.D.-Ph.D. dual degree program is designed to provide students the knowledge to ask pertinent and meaningful clinical questions that may ultimately lead to novel discovery in the medical field. The degree gives graduates the preparation to stay involved in research and work on the translational border between science and medicine.

Quinn completed her Ph.D. work in the lab of Department Chair Paul B. Fisher, M.Ph., Ph.D., in the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics where she focused on novel therapeutics for pancreatic cancer.

After completing the graduate phase of her MD-PhD program in late 2014, Quinn has been working on clinical research projects with the Department of Radiation Oncology’s Emma C. Fields while completing the program’s medicine phase. In addition to providing clinical mentorship, Fields has also spent time with Quinn discussing various aspects of career planning and the process of applying to residency programs. Quinn is currently applying to residency in the field of radiation oncology and plans to do an internal medicine intern year. You can read more about her background and research on page 5 in the Department of Internal Medicine’s research newsletter.

Finding a career that balances discoveries with patients

In Tim Kegelman’s final year of the MD-PhD program, he’s pursued an elective with the Center for Human-Animal Interaction. Now he’s certified his Siberian Husky, Lola, to be a Therapy Dog and part of VCU’s Dogs on Call program.

Tim Kegelman grew up in Yorktown, Virginia, where his mom, a nurse practitioner, and his dad, a NASA scientist, influenced his interest in becoming a physician-scientist. The path he took led to the University of Notre Dame where he pursued a chemical engineering degree.

Drawn by the potential of making discoveries in medical sciences while also having significant and direct patient interactions, Kegelman enrolled in the M.D.-Ph.D. program. Like Quinn, he performed his dissertation research with Department Chair Paul Fisher, M.Ph., Ph.D., where he could explore his interest in cancer molecular biology and genetics.

He’s known he wanted to work in oncology research since he enrolled in the M.D.-Ph.D. program, and more recently he’s begun collaborating with the Department of Radiation Oncology on projects combining a small molecule inhibitor in combination with radiation in glioblastoma.

While at Notre Dame, Kegelman worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the chemical engineering department. He also was captain of the men’s swim team and competed at the NCAA championships. He has applied a student-athlete’s work ethic to various aspects of M.D.-Ph.D. training and credits his time as a collegiate swimmer with helping him integrate well into new teams – which is something he does regularly during his clinical training.

Away from campus, both Quinn and Kegelman have young children as well as a love for dogs. Kegelman, in fact, recently certified his Siberian Husky to be a therapy dog as part of VCU’s Dogs on Call program.

You can read more about Kegelman on page 7 of the Department of Internal Medicine’s research newsletter.