Dr. Christopher McElrath and Dr. Hannah Viroslav: MT "Pepper" Jenkins Outstanding Medical Student Award in Anesthesiology and Pain Management
Drs. Christopher McElrath and Hannah Viroslav gravitated to the field of anesthesiology for a similar reason: respect for faculty and mentors who stoked their interest and supported them in their studies. The appreciation is mutual, as they are the 2019 co-recipients of the MT “Pepper” Jenkins Outstanding Medical Student Award in Anesthesiology and Pain Management.
Dr. Christopher McElrath
What this award means: It is such an honor to be chosen by the incredible faculty and mentors in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management. I attribute my passion for a career in anesthesiology to the support they have provided.
Mentor comment: Christopher has spent the better part of the past two years exploring anesthesiology and its various aspects. Christopher participated in an opioid stewardship project with Dr. Enas Kandil (Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management) as part of his scholarly activity requirement and shortly thereafter decided to pursue a residency in anesthesiology. He is one of the most kindhearted, polite, and hardworking individuals I have met.
– Dr. Aditee Ambardekar, Residency Program Director, Associate Professor and Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management
Background and family: I am the first person in my family to go into medicine. I owe so much of my success thus far to the incredible support of my family – parents Clarissa and Charles, and brother C.J. I would like to also give a special thanks to my fiancée and fellow medical student, Lizzie Cochran.
What led to your career path: My interest in anesthesiology started after I shadowed a family friend who was an anesthesiologist. That interest grew after several of my favorite early medical school experiences were facilitated by the Anesthesiology Department. Dr. Aditee Ambardekar, who subsequently became a primary mentor, very generously made room for me in the exploratory anesthesia elective, and I absolutely loved it. I knew at that time what I wanted to do.
UTSW activities: I co-founded the Return the Favor Committee, which raises funds for personalized thank-you gifts for patients who take the time to share their experiences with our Medical School Class. I also helped organize Doc for a Day, a medicine-themed arts, crafts, and games event at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, and volunteered as a counselor at Double H Ranch, a free camp for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.
Future plans: I am interested in pursuing a fellowship in pediatrics or pain management. I hope to become a program director or department chair and, ultimately, a leader in the field of anesthesiology.
Dr. Hannah Viroslav
What this award means: Among the reasons I fell in love with anesthesiology are the residents and faculty whom I learned from during my rotations. I have tried to emulate their work ethic and empathy. I am incredibly grateful and humbled to be a co-recipient of this award.
Mentor comment: Over the last two years, I have had the privilege of watching Hannah engage in her educational environment, reflect on her learning, and grow. Since then, Hannah has engaged in respectful, professional, and compassionate clinical care, participated in a meaningful research project on pediatric burn-injured children and hypertension, and been a leader and role model to her Medical School class.
– Dr. Aditee Ambardekar, Residency Program Director, Associate Professor and Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management.
Background and family: My parents met when they were students at UT Southwestern. My dad is an orthopedic surgeon and my mom is a neuroradiologist. I have two siblings, Olivia and Evan. Olivia was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome, which is why I have taken such an interest in research in that area. My grandfather, Dr. Joseph Viroslav (Professor of Internal Medicine), has been a UTSW faculty member for years.
What led to your career path: My interest grew out of interactions with the anesthesiologists during our pre-clerkship simulations. I looked up to their commitment to mentoring and education. On a personal level, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during my first semester of medical school. I started my clinical rotations on surgery and quickly befriended the anesthesiologists and the circulating nurses, as I needed someone to tend to my insulin pump once I was scrubbed in. I loved the environment of the operating room.
UTSW activities: I received a grant from UTSW to work in a lab studying ghrelin and its effects on Prader-Willi Syndrome. Our work was published in Endocrinology in December 2018. I am a member of the Senior Film Committee and acted in, directed, and helped to write the Class of 2019 Senior Film.
Future plans: After residency, I hope to complete a fellowship in critical care, cardiac, or pediatric anesthesiology. I aim to be involved in academic medicine, with an emphasis on mentoring.
About the award: The award recognizes students seeking careers in anesthesiology who excelled at UTSW Medical School, take an empathetic approach to patient care, and exhibit the characteristics of leadership, scholarship, and thirst for knowledge exemplified by the late Dr. M.T. “Pepper” Jenkins, who established and served as Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management from 1948 to 1981.