Informational Interview with Dr. Frank Ricaurte

Why did you select this individual to interview:

Having a large interest in the medical field, I knew that I needed to gain more insight into different specializations in the medical field.  In high school, as well as my first year of college, I had a high interest in becoming a dermatologist.  This past summer, however, I had the privilege of shadowing Dr. Ricaurte, a radiologist for the Cleveland Clinic.  I gained so much more insight into different aspects of the medical field, and how much responsibilities change for different doctors under different specializations.  Dr. Ricaurte’s job was unlike anything I had imagined, and I was so lucky to gain an insight in the day-to-day tasks of a radiologist.  He has great knowledge on the specialization, as well as how it has changed throughout the years, and how radiologists’ roles will change in the future.  This is why I contacted Dr. Ricaurte to learn more about his role, as well as any advice he has for me during my undergraduate and graduate years.

Describe the major responsibilities associated with their current role:

From the interview, Dr. Ricaurte explained his main role as a radiologist is providing an accurate interpretation of the scan to give to the clinician.  Therefore, the clinician can give the patient an accurate interpretation of what is going on in their body.  This includes looking at CT/PET and MRI scans, as well as x-rays.  In addition to looking and analyzing the information from the scans, Dr. Ricaurte is also responsible for some minor procedures, including biopsies, retroperitoneal of the pelvic bone, paracentesis, and lumbar punctures.  His day is combined with both looking at scans, as well as providing procedures to patients, something I did not know occurred for a radiologist.  I assumed that radiologists only analyzed scans for patients.  Dr. Ricaurte explained, radiologists could also be involved in other aspects of radiology, such as becoming a department head, which he is, or using time for research and publishing journal articles.

Discuss how the person prepared for this role, and if they provided you with any advice as what you might be able to do to prepare for a similar career:

Dr. Ricaurte explained he completed his prerequisites for medical school in his first two years of undergraduate education.  He then switched his major to accounting and finance, and worked an accounting job out of college while studying for the MCAT.  Once he entered medical school, he completed three years of residency in internal medicine and then switched to radiology, realizing that internal medicine was not for him.  He continued to work in radiology, and realized he loved the job.  He also explained that he was able to find a job right out of residency, as radiologists jobs were in high demand.  He explained he did not even know what radiologist was before entering medical school.  Therefore, he explained, as long as an individual likes medicine, he or she will be able to find a job and suitable specialization.  He also explained it is okay to not know what specialization you want in undergrad and even your first years in medical school.  He explained that most likely, you will change your mind after entering medical school, which is something I thought was very important to remember, when thinking of my career path.

Summarize any insights from the interview that might be helpful in your academic or career preparation:

My interview with Dr. Ricaurte was very helpful, as he helped me understand much more of what goes into being a radiologist and a doctor in general.  He explained the importance of social skills when being a doctor.  However, he also explained that one of the great things about radiology is that it has both work with direct and indirect patient contact.  He also explained to me the importance of really exploring your interests to many different medical fields and keeping an open mind about what specialty would be the most suitable for myself.  Even within certain specialties, there are also many subspecialties.  For instance, I learned that some of the subspecialties of radiology are pediatrics, neuroradiology, and nuclear radiology.  Through the interview and shadow opportunity with Dr. Ricaurte, I have gained insight into the specialty and currently have equal interest in both dermatology and radiology!

Project Title: Beating Cancer!

Service Project Sites: The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Regional Cancer Center

Describe your involvement with this organization:

I have always enjoyed dedicating my time to service, such as the nursing home in my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania.  When I heard of the need for volunteers at the James Cancer Hospital, I knew I wanted to take full advantage of this opportunity.  I first became involved with volunteering at the James Cancer Hospital during the spring of my freshman year and continue to volunteer there today.  I am known as a “Restful Nights” volunteer.  This volunteer experience is very special, as I get the chance to interact with patients on different floors of the James, and offer items such as lotion, books, and magazines. Volunteering at the James my freshman year inspired me to continue to volunteer, even in my hometown.  Therefore, I became a volunteer for The Regional Cancer Center.  My responsibility was to pass food out to the patients receiving treatment.  I loved the experience because I could interact with the patients, and met some amazing and inspiring individuals.

Describe what you gained as a result of this experience:

Both of my service experiences are amazing in so many ways.  My volunteering at both experiences is very similar, as both involve interacting with patients, and providing them with anything they need to be comfortable.  Through volunteering at the James Cancer Hospital and The Regional Cancer Center, one of the most important qualities I have gained is social skills.  Being a volunteer and interacting with the patients, it is imperative that you have good communication skills with the patients, as you want to make the patients feel as comfortable as possible.  I also feel these skills can be used further into my career path, because I would like to be a doctor.  I also gained the importance of really connecting with the patients while volunteering.  Many of the patients, especially at the Regional Cancer Center, were very nervous to receive treatment for the first time.  Volunteering has taught me how to be a good support system for the patients when going through a difficult time.  The patients at both the James and The Regional Cancer Center are so appreciative of all of our work and are so nice to talk to.  These experiences have provided me with the privilege of meeting so many inspiring and tough patients battling cancer!

Describe positive changes to the community as a result of your service experience:

Through my volunteer work at the James Cancer Hospital, I was inspired to do more for my community  the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, which is how I got started volunteering at The Regional Cancer Center.  Because of how much I enjoyed service at both the James Cancer Hospital and the Regional Cancer center, I decided to become more involved with more ways to volunteer my time and give back on campus.  I joined BuckeyeThon this year, which works year-round to help children with pediatric cancer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  We host events throughout the year, as well as fundraise and enroll dancers into a large dance marathon!  I have also become involved with Chimes Class Honorary.  With one of the main components of the honorary being philanthropy, we are working with the YWCA, and will be hosting fundraising events, as well as dedicating our time.  The James, as well as the Regional Cancer Center have inspired me to incorporate volunteer work into my life in various ways, as well as to encourage others how important it is to give back.

Describe a person with whom you interacted that made a strong impression on you, positive or negative:

While volunteering at The Regional Cancer Center, I was passing out food to all of the patients receiving treatment.  One woman in particular stopped me and told me how thankful she was for my volunteer work.  She then proceeded to hand me  small cross as a token of her appreciation .  Her small gift to me was so kind and made a lasting impact.  The many patients I have met through my volunteer experience have made a lasting impact on me and have inspired me to work hard and persevere.  In return, I try to give the patients as much care as they need to make them happy, especially if they are going through a difficult time.  The appreciation I received from that nice lady further emphasizes the many reasons I love to volunteer.

Complete the following sentence: “Because of this service experience, I am__________”:

Because of this service experience, I am a better volunteer, and am dedicated to give back and support others, as they continue to inspire me everyday to work hard and be a better person.