Remarks by Tina Sauerhammer, M.D.

Posters in the Rotunda Event, State Capitol

Thursday, April 25, 2006

Thank you, President Reilly, for your kind words.  It is truly an honor to be here.  On behalf of my many colleagues throughout the UW system who conduct undergraduate research, I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to Governor Doyle, the legislators, the Regents, and UW faculty and staff for their support of our important work.  We would not be here today without them. 

As an alumnus from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, I can personally attest to the benefits and value of undergraduate research.  In my senior year at the university, I had the opportunity to work with my premedical advisor and mentor, Dr. Donna Ritch, in a research project studying the intracellular signaling pathway of the slime mold didymium iridis.  Now, eight years later, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you what kind of signals a slime mold makes, or even what a slime mold is for that matter.  What I can tell you, however, are three traits I developed during the process of doing undergraduate research.

Curiosity, perseverance, and communication -- all are qualities necessary for a student researcher to have.

Curiosity is the key to the world of research. Once we realize that we hold this quality, all we have to do is turn the key, open the door and explore the unending realm that lies within.

Perseverance is also crucial to obtaining results through our research. Once we embark on a specific quest, it is only the unrelenting pursuit of results that keeps us going and allows us to navigate past obstacles that we meet along the way.

The third key is communication. Once the research is done and we have results we need, the final step is to disseminate that knowledge through various avenues. Publishing papers, presenting data and even constructing posters are all excellent ways of getting our newfound knowledge out there for the world to see.  For example, as I concluded my research, I had the opportunity to present my findings at the UW Undergraduate Research Symposium in LaCrosse -- another invaluable forum much like this one, where UW students are given the opportunity to present their research findings.         

Since my undergraduate research, I have graduated from UW-Green Bay, became the youngest-ever graduate from UW Medical School, and even went on to research tiaras as Miss Wisconsin 2003.  I also learned a thing or two about sequined gowns, strappy shoes, and the burning effects of bleach on teeth and gums.  Today, I’m a medical doctor, in my second year of general surgery residency at UW Hospital.

Everyday I use those three traits -- curiosity, perseverance, and communication -- that I once learned from a slime mold.  Let’s say a patient comes in to the emergency room with abdominal pain. First, I pepper him with questions about his symptoms to investigate the cause of his pain -- curiosity.  After enquiring, I suspect appendicitis, so I take him to the operating room.  In the OR, the diagnosis of appendicitis is made, and with perseverance, and a lot of it, the appendix is removed, and the patient feels better.  Throughout the whole process, I communicate with the patient, the family and other staff -- all the time using the tools I learned way back in my days as an undergraduate, researching slime molds.

Thank you once again for all your invaluable support and dedication to the world of undergraduate research. I wish I could stay longer but unfortunately I have to get back to my research.  But first one last piece of advice, some of you may go on to become doctors, and you’ll one day be able to appreciate the research you’re doing now as an undergraduate once you hear about the topics we have to tackle.  One week from today is resident research day at UW Hospital, and in case you’re wondering, the current topic of my research is bronchoalveolar lavage and its role in diagnosing ventilator-dependent  pneumonia in trauma surgery patients, and may I add that’s required research, not elective research! 

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to speak today.