Sports neurologist Kate Essad, MD ’12 has been a mentor to student Patricia Henegan ever since they met at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where Dr. Essad was completing her residency and Patricia was conducting research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Last week, the two reconnected in St. Maarten, with Patricia joining her new classmates to participate in AUC’s White Coat Ceremony, and Dr. Essad delivering the keynote speech.
Gus Galue, Lead of Alumni Relations, sat down with Dr. Essad and Patricia to hear more about their backgrounds and what brought them to AUC. Watch the full video on the AUC Alumni Facebook page.
“I was working with ALS patients for my research, and there was just a certain point when I wanted to do more,” said Patricia, who grew up in north Jersey and earned her B.S. in chemistry at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. “Kate told me about AUC, Kate told me to go to medical school. … [She’s] a great mentor.”
Originally from Detroit, Dr. Essad earned her B.S. in cell and molecular biology at the University of Michigan before attending AUC in 2008. After completing her neurology residency, Dr. Essad went on to earn a fellowship in sports neurology at the Sports Neurology Clinic in Brighton, MI. She’s now practicing at Aurora Health Center in Milwaukee.
“I would do it all over again,” Dr. Essad said. “I come back here as often as I can. The school is great, very supportive, and the island is great. It’s a completely unique experience that gets you where you need to be.”
Watch the full conversation on Facebook.
