WCMS Mini-Internship Offers Insider’s View to Local Residents

The Mini-internship is a community outreach program that brings doctors and community leaders together in a one-on-one setting, and offers an insider’s view of medical professionals in action. The unique experience benefits the doctors, the interns, and the medical society.

This year’s session took place from May 17-24 and was sponsored and hosted by Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. Thanks to their medical staff; Kendall Barrett, Barbara Neal, and Yvette Viado, for their hard work that facilitated the interns access to all hospitals, medical practices, which resulted in a successful turnout.
On the last day the interns and some of the participating physicians gathered to celebrate over dinner. We had a group of interns from diverse backgrounds come together as one to openly share the moments they each had with physicians they shadowed for the day.

“The attitude is: Let’s do something that makes a difference. Let’s figure it out,” said an intern at the roundtable when discussing the healthcare system and related issues we hear about every day.

“It caused me to think about the aftercare that will be needed as our population continues to age. I hadn’t thought about that,” said another intern who shadowed a physician in the family medicine specialty.

“Saw the compassion physicians have for their patients. Even trying to find ways to treat those who cannot pay,” said one intern who’s very interested in the healthcare field.

“Most people don’t understand what we do. We must be mindful of who we vote for and understand who they do/don’t understand what we do,” commented Dr. Paul Stump a surgeon and long time WCMS member and participant of the program.

At the roundtable physicians are also encourage to give their opinions and answer any questions interns may have. “We want the best for our patients. Healthcare decisions are being made at the state and federal levels that affect how we care for our patients,” commented Andy Pasternak, M.D., Silver Sage Center for Family Medicine and WCMS president.

Lastly, a big thank you to our Public Relations Chair, Bayo Curry-Winchell, M.D. who was eager and excited to partake in this year’s internship. Dr. Curry-Winchell shared a few ideas of her own for the future session and suggested:

• Possibly have the program offered two times a year: fall and summer
• Increase the internship time frame beyond a week
• Increase specialist involvement
• Recruit local legislators and business owners to participate which would help promote the discussion of health care topics related to Nevadans.

2017 Physician Participants

Bayo Curry-Winchell, M.D., Family Medicine
Christopher Demers, M.D., Neurology
Devang Desai, M.D., Cardiology
Leslie Greenberng, M.D., Family Medicine
Tomas Hinojosa, M.D. Gastroenterology
Freida Hulka, M.D., General Surgery
Ali Nairizi, M.D., Pain Management
Michael Kos, M.D., Radiation Oncology
Denis Patterson, D.O., Pain Management
Andrew Pasternak, M.D., Family/Sports Medicine
Sowjanya Reganti, M.D., Oncology
Malcolm Schinstine, M.D., Pathology
Lali Sekhon, M.D., Neurosurgery
Paul Stumpf, M.D., General Surgery
Ronald Swanger, M.D., Diagnostic Radiology
Renny Uppal, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgery
Amanda VanderClay, M.D., General Surgery