We spoke to two of the four MD-PhD trainees who are wrapping up their dual degrees this year and will start the next chapter in their careers after Spring Convocation 2023.
Shriya Deshmukh, PhD
1. As you finalise your last year in the MD & PhD program, where are you heading with your clinical work and research?
After completing my last year in McGill’s MD & PhD program, I will start my residency in the Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The PSTP is a combined clinical and research track where I will pursue Internal Medicine and Hematology-Oncology fellowship followed by a three-year research fellowship. In many ways, the PSTP represents the next step in training after the MD & PhD program for aspiring physician scientists such as myself. I am excited to see where this next journey takes me!
2. Did your motivation towards becoming a clinician-scientist change at all during your time as an MD-PhD student?
My motivations for becoming a clinician-scientist remain the same as when I interviewed for the program eight years ago: I want to improve patient health through my scientific and clinical work and the synergy of the two. The experience of being an MD-PhD student has painted these motivations with more vibrant colours: I see more clearly now both the enormous promise and potential, as well as the limitations and challenges, of improving patient lives through advances in science.
3. What was your most memorable experience in the program?
It’s difficult to identify one memorable experience among the eight years of memories I’ve experienced through this program. The memories that I think will endure aren’t the flashy moments of celebration or loss, but the quieter moments of happiness: countless hours spent poring over data together with my amazing lab mates and loudly discussing science over the noise of the tissue culture hood, the familiarity of walking into a Thomson House room and being immediately comforted by the presence of my MD-PhD friends, the pride and satisfaction of seeing my patients recover on the wards, the unexpected humor and morale shared even amongst the backdrop of a busy medicine service because of a good team. I will miss these moments and more importantly, the people who shared them, dearly.
4. Could you share 1 publication you’re particularly proud of from your time in the program? Why this one?
One of the most exciting discoveries we made during my PhD in Dr. Nada Jabado’s lab was the identification of recurrent mutations in PDGFRA, a receptor tyrosine kinase, in deadly pediatric high-grade gliomas. Using various NGS techniques, we showed that the epigenetic context of the cell-of-origin is crucial for tumorigenesis: in a subset of gliomas, aberrant expression of PDGFRA is contingent on spatial proximity to a cell-specific enhancer and a disrupted epigenetic landscape. Importantly, clinically approved drugs targeting mutant-PDGFRA are available; representing a novel therapeutic avenue for these devastating pediatric tumors. The culmination of this huge collaborative effort was published in Cell. I am particularly proud of this publication, not only because of the therapeutic implications, but because we elucidated an elegant mechanism clarifying the importance of epigenetic context in neoplastic cells.
5. Looking back, what is one thing you would have done differently, if at all?
I think the COVID-19 pandemic forced a reckoning for many of us highly driven trainees about the important priorities in our lives beyond career aspirations. Although I don’t at all regret my time spent in the lab or studying or staying late on busy clinical rotations, I do wish I had really committed to the truism that this program is a marathon, not a sprint. Then I would have worried less about the next deadline and indulged a bit more in the other joys of life: spending time with family and friends, playing tennis with my lab mates, etc.
6. What is the biggest advantage you feel you have going into residency because of the joint program?
McGill’s MD-PhD program has given me the confidence to set out on the path of a clinician scientist. I will go into residency knowing I have been equipped not only with the skills necessary to succeed, but also a different and unique perspective on scientific and clinical affairs that will be valuable regardless of the path taken. I owe this confidence in large part to the steady support of my mentors, first and foremost of whom is Dr. Jabado, who has always encouraged me to strive for my best. Knowing that I am equally supported by Dr. Eisenberg and McGill’s MD-PhD community is also reassuring as I start on this next journey!
Matthew Dankner, PhD
1. As you finalise your last year in the MD & PhD program, where are you heading with your clinical work and research?
I am joining the Internal Medicine residency program at McGill University, with the plan at this time being to become a Medical Oncologist-Scientist. A big part of why I chose to stay at McGill for this next phase of my training is so that I can continue working on the research I am super excited about in the areas of brain metastases and targeted therapy for cancer. I intend to do everything I can to remain very active in research during my residency; check back in three years to see how this goes !
2. Did your motivations towards becoming a clinician-scientist change at all during your time as a MD-PhD student?
Over the past eight years I’ve come to learn about many of the nuances and challenges associated with pursuing this career path. However, I am lucky to say that I remain as committed as ever to the goal of becoming a clinician-scientist. I am as passionate as ever about the research and clinical work I am doing, and hope it stays that way for many years to come!
3. What was your most memorable experience in the program?
The first program retreat we held last summer. When I first joined this program, we 9 students, with 5 of them in my year. Now we are a thriving group of 25+ students spanning the 8 years of the program, with so many diverse clinical and research interests. It is wonderful to see the little community we’ve built over these years and how we’ve grown as a group!
4. Could you share one publication you’re particularly proud of from your time in the program? Why this one?
One paper I’m particularly proud of is my publication in Clinical Cancer Research on Class 2 BRAF mutations. This is a paper inspired by the clinical experience of a real patient we saw at the MUHC Oncology Clinic and challenged much of the dogma in this field of research that existed at the time. We were able to show that patients whose tumours have Class 2 BRAF mutations may in fact be able to be effectively treated with targeted therapies. This work has been translated into an ongoing clinical trial. I am very excited to see the forthcoming results of this trial and continue to work in this space to improve our understanding of the underlying biology to make progress in the care of patients whose tumours harbour these mutations.
5. Looking back, what is one thing you would have done differently, if at all?
My one regret from my PhD is that I focused too heavily on generating data/publications, and less on learning skills. For example, I regret not taking the time to learn to code or perform advanced statistical analyses. I am not sure if I will ever find time to learn these skills later, which may limit some of the things I can do in the future. TL;DR: Focus on the process, not the outcomes. The papers will come in due time!
6. What is the biggest advantage you feel you have going into residency because of the joint program?
I would say the maturity that comes with being a medical student for seven to eight years. I am a profoundly different person today than I was four years ago, and am certainly better prepared to face the challenges of residency and becoming a clinician-scientist than I was previously.