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Medical Student Scholars

The Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence supports four new medical students a year as Bucksbaum Student Scholars.

Brooke Gabster, MD

Brooke Gabster, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

(1988-2021)

Brooke Gabster graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 2011 with an A.B. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Before medical school, Brooke worked for Deloitte Consulting LLP, where she helped the Military Health System design innovative programs to reduce tobacco use and obesity, and guided Navy Medicine’s implementation and evaluation of a patient-centered medical home model of care at over one hundred clinics. In addition to her domestic health experience, Brooke has worked on global health projects in Germany, Thailand, and South Africa.

At the Pritzker School of Medicine, Brooke is the co-director of the Maria Shelter Clinic, a free clinic in a homeless shelter in Englewood. She also helps evaluate and improve the medical school curriculum as a member of the Pre-Clinical Curriculum Review Committee. Additionally, under the mentorship of Dr. David Meltzer, Brooke is conducting research about how a new model of care designed to increase physician-patient continuity might improve discussions about end-of-life care: her project titled “The Impact of the Comprehensive Care Physician Program on Advance Care Planning” earned Honorable Mention for Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Program.

Dr. Gabster is an Internal Medicine Resident at Stanford University in Stanford, CA.

Sean Gaffney, MD

Sean Gaffney, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Sean Gaffney graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2009 with a BA in Philosophy and Economics. Following graduation, Sean taught for two years at a high school in the Rio Grande Valley while completing a M.Ed. through Notre Dame’s ACE program.

As a medical student, Sean is the co-coordinator of CommunityHealth Clinic, a free clinic on Chicago’s west side. He also serves as a member of the Pre-Clinical Curriculum Review Committee, charged with reviewing the first two years of medical school curriculum.

Under the mentorship of Drs. Vineet Arora and Jeanne Farnan, Sean completed a research project titled “Transitions of Care and Transitioning to Training: Teaching and Assessing a Core Entrustable Professional Activity for Entering Residency,” which earned Honorable Mention for Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Program.

Dr. Gaffney is a Medicine Resident at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC.

Brenna Hughes Chase, MD

Brenna Hughes Chase, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Brenna graduated from Dartmouth College in 2009 with an AB in Economics and Environmental Studies. As a medical student, under the mentorship of Marshall Chin and Monica Peek, a Bucksbaum Institute Jr. Faculty Scholar, Brenna has conducted research on ways to improve diabetes care and outcomes on the South Side of Chicago. Brenna has also conducted research in collaboration with Pilar Ortega to assess barriers to Emergency Department utilization of interpreter services.

Dr. Chase is a Pediatric & Urban Health Resident at Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Kathryn Kinasz, MD

Kathryn Kinasz, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Kathryn Kinasz graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2010 with a B.A. in English and Psychology and election to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Following graduation, Kate spent two years working at a strategy consulting firm in Chicago and a year completing her post-baccalaureate pre-medical education at Bryn Mawr College.

Under the mentorship of Daniel Le Grange and with a Medical Student Fellowship from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kate has conducted research on the differences between boys and girls who present for eating disorder treatment. As a 2014 Schweitzer Fellow, Kate is working with the Girls in the Game organization to teach young girls in urban settings health and leadership lessons through participation in sports.

Kate also serves as the co-director of the Washington Park Pediatric Clinic, the co-curriculum director for the Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention program, and the co-director of the Pediatrics Interest Group. Kate recently returned from a medical service trip to Peru with the REMEDY student group.

Dr. Kinasz is a Psychiatry Resident at University of California, San Francisco in San Francisco, CA.

Sunny Kung, MD

Sunny Kung, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Sunny Kung graduated with Highest Honors from the University of California, Berkeley in 2013 with a B.S. in Bioengineering. As a medical student, she co-lead South Side Science Scholars and Big Ideas in Medicine. Sunny is a co-founder of the Bridgeport Free Clinic and a Huggins Society Ambassador. She also serves the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) as the Central Regional Delegate to the National Committee on Community & Diversity, as well as the Pritzker representative to the Organization of Student Representatives. Under the mentorship of Jonas de Souza, Sunny completed a research project titled “Cost-coping Strategies in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.”

Dr. Kung is an Internal Medicine Resident at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Lukas Matern, MD

Lukas Matern, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Lukas Matern holds a B.A. in Music and Biochemistry from Columbia University, where he completed dual honors theses and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2014. His undergraduate pursuits in chamber music and cello performance brought him to venues such as the Yellow Barn Music Festival and Carnegie Hall.

As a medical student, Lukas has served on the board of the Washington Park Clinic and headed the Surgery Interest Group. He has also cultivated an interest in the development and structure of medical training as a representative on the Preclinical Curriculum Review Committee, and he is currently conducting research with Drs. Jeanne Farnan and Vineet Arora on the assessment of core competencies in residency programs. In his spare time, he continues to perform within the University of Chicago’s Department of Music.

Dr. Matern is a Clinical Fellow in Anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA.

Laurie Nosbusch, MD

Laurie Nosbusch, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Laurie Nosbusch graduated with highest distinction in 2013 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with majors in Biology and Spanish and a certificate in Global Health. She was captain of the Division 1 women’s soccer team for two years and earned numerous awards, including the Big Ten Medal of Honor. In medical school, Laurie served as a board member for the Washington Park Children’s Free Clinic and a co-president of the Diabetes Prevention and Management Group. Under the mentorship of Kristen Knutson, Ph.D, Laurie investigated the impact of sleep extension on diabetes risk and earned Honorable Mention of Excellence in the Pritzker Summer Research Forum.

Dr. Nosbusch is an Emergency Medicine Resident at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.

Liese Pruitt, MD

Liese Pruitt, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Liese graduated from Stanford University in 2010 with a BA in anthropology and a BS in biology. She received numerous honors as an undergraduate, including graduation with distinction in biology and anthropology, departmental honors for her senior thesis, and election to Phi Beta Kappa.

As a medical student, under the mentorship of Funmi Olopade, MD, director of the Cancer Risk Clinic and professor of medical and human genetics, Liese has conducted qualitative research on cultural and social barriers to effective breast cancer care in southern Nigeria.

Liese also was selected to serve as a Teaching Assistant for The Human Body course. She is a member of the Pritzker School of Medicine student board and a translator at the Community Health Clinic, a volunteer-run free clinic on Chicago’s west side. Liese also is one of the co-chairs of the International Medicine Interest Group at Pritzker.

Liese received a Doris Duke Clinical Research Mentorship Grant and spent the 2013-14 academic year abroad where she conducted a breast cancer knowledge assessment of healthcare workers near Ibadan, Nigeria.

Dr. Pruitt is a Surgery Resident at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.

Elizabeth Rhinesmith, MD

Elizabeth Rhinesmith, MD

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2005 with an AB in Economics, a Certificate in Health Policy and election to Phi Beta Kappa. Following her graduation, Elizabeth worked as an associate consultant at Bain & Company and in the Emergency Department of the University of Virginia Health Center.

As a medical student, under the mentorship of William Meadow, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Co-Section Chief of Neonatology, and Neethi Pinto, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Elizabeth has conducted research on the accuracy of care team prognoses regarding patient outcomes after hospitalization in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Elizabeth has served as the co-coordinator of the Washington Park Children’s Free Clinic, a student-run clinic for underserved children. She also serves as a member of the Pre-Clinical Curricular Review Committee, charged with reviewing the first two years of the medical school curriculum.

Dr. Rhinesmith is a pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Alexander Ruby, MD, MSc

Alexander Ruby, MD, MSc

2010-2011 STUDENT SCHOLAR – ALUMNI

Bio

Alex graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 2009 with an ScB in Neuroscience. Following his graduation, Alex coordinated the construction of a community clinic in Bamako, Mali.

As a medical student, Alex researched the extent of false fluency in the health care setting as part of the Health Care Disparities course, and he has continued to explore potential solutions related to the lack of translation services. He also has conducted research with Benjamin Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, on the economic feasibility of an online adolescent depression prevention intervention.

Over the course of his first year, Alex helped conceive of a children’s illustrated book — combining information on the flu with artistic illustrations — to expand health literacy for children. He and his fellow students received a grant from the University of Chicago’s Arts/Science Initiative to fund the book’s initial publication and distribution.

Alex spent the 2013-14 academic year abroad in London where he completed a masters of science in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Alex conducted research on the effectiveness of interventions during humanitarian crises.

Dr. Ruby is an Emergency Medicine physician in El Segundo, CA.