Summer Scholars: Meet Melanie Domann

Name: Melanie Domann

Hometown: Saint Charles, IL

Undergraduate degree:  Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater

Hobbies: Exercising, BIG Animal-Lover, Football Season Fanatic

Name of your MSSRS project and your role in the research:
“Can Trauma be an Opportunity to Identify and Treat Non-Injury Medical Conditions in Young Adults?”

PI: Dr. Jaclyn Portelli-Tremont

My role in the project was to analyze trauma cases from within the last two years and to determine whether there were any previous diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, substance/alcohol abuse, or obesity. We would then examine whether the patient had any indicators during their hospital stay that would fit the criteria of any of the above diagnoses.

Why did you chose to participate in the summer scholars program and/or what you are learning from the experience:
I am extremely interested in Emergency Medicine, and I think that this research topic is very important in the early diagnosis of common health conditions. Many of these patients don’t see a primary care provider regularly to ensure that there are no serious underlying health conditions. By using trauma as a way of identifying these diseases early on, it can prevent serious complications from arising later in life.

Advice to MS-I’s and future medical students: Use your free time to do what makes you happy. Don’t study every second of every day and rely on your friends as your support system. You are all going through this together, so use this to motivate each other when you are feeling stressed.