A pair of prestigious fellowships at Wisconsin and UCLA keep TCOM student busy over summer
Any summer vacation plans Moises Correa might have had were put on hold as the second-year
student at UNT Health’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine traded his break for
an opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s best surgeons and gastroenterologists.
Correa was one of a selected group of medical students across the nation chosen for
the DISCOVER Program, which is offered by the Research Foundation of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
Correa first spent four weeks at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health with his mentor, Dr. Dana Hayden. The program was a four-week, research-intensive summer program designed for first-year U.S. medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in surgery.
Through the program, students are paired with volunteer colorectal surgeon mentors at institutions across the country, where they participate in mentored research, clinical and operating room experiences, educational programming, and networking opportunities.
“I was able to be in the operating room, scrub in and see a lot of surgeries,” said Correa. “It was almost like a rotation because I was really involved at every level. I also saw how close everybody is and the surgery team is a tight-knit group. I thought surgery and working with surgeons might be intimidating, but they are really great teachers and were just great to be around.”
The program's goal is to provide meaningful research, mentorship and career development opportunities while introducing students to the field of colon and rectal surgery. In addition to their research experience, students participate in a series of interactive virtual didactic sessions led by colorectal surgeons from around the country. In addition to working on a diverticulitis research project with Dr. Dana Hayden, he will be conducting research with Dr. Ana De Roo, where they will be doing a study on colorectal cancer.
“I was able to do so much learning about colorectal surgery while I was there, from seeing patients in consults to making rounds,” Correa said. “It really opened my eyes because a lot of these patients are really sick. They are coming in with different cancers and comorbidities, not just colorectal issues, and we really help them improve their quality of life.”
Correa noted how it wasn’t just surgery that helped the patients they saw; there was a healthy dose of preventative medicine that helped prevent many issues from spreading.
“We did a lot of colonoscopies, and found polyps that were pre-malignant and we found them before it became something much worse,” he said. “That was really special to see.”
As soon as Correa wrapped up his fellowship in Wisconsin, he left for a week on the West Coast with a summer fellowship with the American College of Gastroenterology Summer Scholars Program at UCLA. Correa was one of only two scholars across the nation selected for the summer program. Correa began his research for the program in April as he attended lab meetings with his mentor, Dr. Danny Issa.
Similar to his experience in Wisconsin, Correa was able to spend time in the clinics and hospital soaking up everything he saw.
“I was able to see some really good procedures, a gastric sleeve, a balloon dilation, ERCP and EGDs, and had a chance to round with the fellows at the hospital,” he said.
Correa will continue working on his research project with Issa and hopes to present
at the 2027 ACG Conference next year. Before he started medical school last year,
Correa took advantage of perhaps his last summer off, traveling to Brazil, India and
Mexico, but this year his travels were for adventure but also for learning.
“It made me a ton better, and it makes me want to put in the time to be excellent academically just because I know now it’s clear what I want to do,” he said. “I’m leaning toward internal medicine and GI, though surgery is still something I’m greatly considering. I’m keeping an open mind, especially when we go into rotations, but those are the two things I’m really focusing on. I was able to go into an OR for the first time; I learned how to scrub in properly, even after a few tries, but it’s going to make me a better student. I love learning, and I’m so happy for these opportunities.”