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Alumni Interview: Dr. Rahul Gosain on Internal Medicine Residency & Hematology/Oncology Fellowship

Posted by Scott Harrah
March 11, 2015

UMHS graduate Dr. Rahul Gosain is completing his residency in Internal Medicine at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University-Sinai Hospital and will start a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Louisville in June.

UMHS Endeavour: Tell us why you initially decided to study at UMHS.

Dr. Gosain: Being in Medicine has always been my dream. After finishing my undergraduate degree at McMaster University in Canada, I wanted to continue pursuing this goal. UMHS was a new name but the people behind it had a lot of experience, and I was convinced that it would provide me with the track that I was looking for. Looking back at where I started and where I am today, UMHS has played a big role.

What is a common misconception people have about students at Caribbean medical schools?

A few. Some people that want to pursue this venue were under the impression that Caribbean graduates can only go in certain fields – not true. There are a lot of competitive fields in medicine but I personally know a quite of few that have done really well and continue to represent Caribbean graduates, including program directors at multiple reputable institutions. Others believed that our course structure is different than the other “American” schools. After rotating and coming across a lot of students from different schools during my rotations and residency, I believe at UMHS, we have done a pretty good job to mirror of what is expected from us (clinically and academically) in the real world.


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What was your experience on the island like?

Ahhh… this continues to be a love and hate relationship. When you are on the island, the first few days, you love it and then you are counting days to get off. You for sure tend to miss the “good old days” once you leave the island and want to go back in time! I had a chance to do some island hopping during my time there and you soon realize that St. Kitts has a lot more to offer than other islands around.

What is one thing students should know about UMHS clinical rotations?

You get what you put in. You will rotate at sites where other American graduates are rotating and then you will also have a chance to work with other physicians one-on-one. You have to be personally proactive to make the most out of any rotation.

You are completing your residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins University-Sinai Hospital. How did UMHS help prepare you for residency?

I had the opportunity to do rotations (core internal medicine and a Sub-I in IM) here in Baltimore. In fact, the core IM rotation was my very first rotation as a 3rd year old medical student. I really think the 5th semester in Maine helps prepare you for your core rotations and elective rotations.

You're starting a fellowship this June at University of Louisville in Hematology-Oncology. What interests you the most about Hematology-Oncology?

I started my Hematology-Oncology journey in Maine when I was assigned to shadow an Oncologist there. I have always thought it’s a field in medicine where you get a chance to help the patients and their families at the most vulnerable time in their life. It’s a field that has evolved a lot in the last few years and there is so much that is up and coming. We are now talking about “cure” in this field and it is estimated there are close to 13 million cancer survivors in the United States of America alone. I also have a keen interest in global health, especially after my time at Uganda Cancer Center as a 2nd year resident. I also had the opportunity to work on multiple book chapters with my mentor Dr. Kenneth Miller (“god of survivorship”) in “Global Perspectives on Cancer”, a Praeger publication. In fact, another UMHS graduate, Dr. Andrea Cuviello (2nd year Pediatrics resident), was also closely involved in this project and has contributed as an author. I personally think that Hematology-Oncology is Internal Medicine with a twist and I am looking forward to my experience in Louisville.

(Top photo) DR. RAHUL GOSAIN: At UMHS graduation with his parents. Dr. Gosain wants to thank his parents & all the families that continue to support UMHS students during medical school. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Gosain

Hematology and Oncology Medical Specialty Guide: Download free PDF


About UMHS:

Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciencesfocuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, “personalized medical education,” and it’s what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada.

Posted by Scott Harrah

Scott is Director of Digital Content & Alumni Communications Liaison at UMHS and editor of the UMHS Endeavour blog. When he's not writing about UMHS students, faculty, events, public health, alumni and UMHS research, he writes and edits Broadway theater reviews for a website he publishes in New York City, StageZine.com.

Topics: UMHS Alumni

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