Student Spotlight August 2023
Esper Wadih is a master's student studying Healthcare Ethics. He graduated from Ohio State with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and received his MD at the University of Cincinnati. He is anticipated to graduate in May 2024 and lives at home with his fiancee and their two cats.
Interview:
Q: What brought you to the University of Louisville?
A: As part of my fellowship at Norton Children's Hospital we are allowed to pursue any master's degree. When looking at my options, the University of Lousiville had a great campus and the healthcare ethics masters was very intriguing for my future career. The director of the program, Lauren Freeman, is very easy to work with and really cares about her students.
Q: What is your specific area of research?
A: I am currently researching how to best teach pediatric residents how to use ultrasound, specifically to help with procedures performed on pediatric patients.
Q: What made you go into this field of study?
A: I wanted a master's degree that I could use in my career in medicine and in the pediatric emergency department there is a lot of room for discussions around the ethics of decisions we have to make. Additionally, I wanted to be able to serve on hospital ethics committees.
Q: How do you think this advanced degree will change your role in society?
A: It will allow me to provide education on healthcare ethics to the other doctors I work with who may not be as familiar with the concepts or discussions around certain decisions. Ultimately it will allow me to deliver better, more comprehensive, and compassionate care to the patients I care for.
Q: What has been your favorite part of the graduate school experience at UofL?
A: The colleagues and the class discussions that we have as a group. They are always very insightful with a lot of different perspectives that have helped change and shape my views on various topics in healthcare ethics.
Q: What do you feel is the greatest challenge that graduate students face and how have you dealt with this challenge?
A: Time management. There are a lot of different demands on a graduate student's time. The way I deal with this is by putting all my responsibilities into my calendar on my phone and not marking an email as read until the task that was required was complete.
Awards, honors, publications:
P. Dean, G. Geis, E.F. Hoehn, [and 22 others including E. Wadih]. High-risk criteria for the physiologically difficult pediatric airway: A multicenter, observational study to generate validity evidence, Resuscitation, https://doi.org/1.1016/j.resuscitation.2023.109875
2021 - Pediatric Emergency Medicine Division Award, Most Outstanding Senior Resident
- Chairman's Achievement Award
Fun Facts:
A talent you have always wanted: The ability to write novels.
Favorite book: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.
Favorite quote: "We were born of stars and in death we will return to them. Let's not strive to be black holes in the meantime. Let's illuminate the world instead of darkening it, instead of tearing it to pieces. Let's prove we are worthy of being stardust." ~ Courtney M. Privett, Arrow of Entropy
Role model: My father.
Favorite thing to do or place to go in Louisville: I love walking in Cherokee park and going to Garage Bar.
If you weren't in graduate school, what would you be doing now? Finishing my fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine.