Dr. Natalie Sciano: Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award

By Cathy Frisinger

During her second-year Emergency Medicine Department rotations, Dr. Natalie Sciano found that the four-hour shifts seemed to fly by. Afterward she had difficulty sleeping due to her excitement. The more rotations she did, the more she enjoyed them

“That told me I needed to do something general, either internal medicine or emergency medicine. I ultimately decided on emergency medicine because I liked the thought of being the first to start deciphering and treating a patient’s problem, as well as getting to do a lot of procedures. I like working with my hands,” Dr. Sciano said.

Dr. Natalie Sciano
Dr. Natalie Sciano

She particularly enjoyed what she calls the Emergency Department adrenaline rush, and solving an ER puzzle. Her passion and enthusiasm contributed to her being named recipient of the 2015 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Award, given annually to a senior medical student for demonstrating an intense commitment to Emergency Medicine.

“Natalie is one of the top students going into the field of emergency medicine and was heavily recruited by some of the best residency programs in the country,” said Dr. Jeffrey Van Dermark, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Undergraduate Medical Education. “The SAEM award recognizes the leadership and high career-achievement capabilities of students in our specialty. We feel extremely fortunate that a person of Natalie's quality has chosen to train here at UT Southwestern.”

Athletics and physical challenges were important to her growing up in San Antonio, and she chose to attend a private high school so that she would have the opportunity to play more than one sport. Cross-country, volleyball, soccer and especially softball were important parts of her high-school experience. At the University of Wisconsin, she participated in crew. Although she said medical school was quite demanding, she made sure to work in time for fun, which included softball.

The high caliber of the institution made UT Southwestern her top choice for medical school, as well as her top choice for her residency, despite an itch to travel.

She enjoyed an opportunity to scratch that itch with a rotation during her fourth year. She participated in an advanced wilderness life support class in Utah, which combined emergency medicine, physical challenge, and the ability to travel to stunning locations including Zion National Park and the city of Moab, Utah.

“It was an exciting experience,” Dr. Sciano said. “All the things you rely on that now you don’t have. It was incredible learning things like how to treat trauma in the wilderness, how to build your own medical kit, formulate a wilderness differential diagnosis, and how to carry someone out with tarps and ropes. It gets you out of your element and puts you on your toes, and that’s what emergency medicine is about − being ready to react.”