Suguna Chaganti, M.D. is a graduate of Drexel University where she
also earned her Bachelors in Biological Sciences. She is a member of the American Medical
Association and was Executive Ambassador of the Drexel Student Ambassadors, where
she served as the liaison between the admissions office and student ambassadors. Dr. Chaganti’s research experience includes
her position as STAR Scholar, which allowed her to tackle advanced research that
could be significant in the future treatment of cardiovascular disease. She has also given much of time to volunteer
efforts with groups such as the Doctor’s Note co-ed acappella group, Drexel
Salsa Latin-American dance group, Pediatric AIDS Benefit Concert annual
fundraiser, Health Outreach Project student run clinic, and the weekly Wellness
Lunches that provided students a safe space to discuss stressors or
concerns. In her free time, Dr. Chaganti
can be found playing viola or piano, reading Science-Fiction or Fantasy Novels,
or honing her skills as a Carnatic vocalist.
Nickname: Suguna (no nicknames)
Hometown: Collegeville, PA
Why Med-Peds?: Looking at it from this side of the residency process, I can't imagine myself anywhere but in Med-Peds. During medical school, whenever I was on the pediatrics side, I found myself missing adult medicine and vice versa. I knew I wanted to focus on medicine specifically, and while I liked the idea of primary care I wasn't willing to shut off the opportunity to sub-specialize either. My medical school didn't have Med-Peds, so I didn't quite realize how well I fit into the Med-Peds world until I met other applicants, program directors, and residents while on the interview trail. Med-Peds is a relatively small community, and I think what clinched it for me is that it was a community I felt I belonged to, even before I matched.
Why Stony Brook?: Stony Brook has a lot of amazing sub-specialty options in both pediatrics and medicine, and the level of complexity of the patients we care for here is an excellent learning opportunity. Within my first month at Stony Brook I'd seen some cases I'd only read about in textbooks during medical school. More importantly, the culture at Stony Brook is one where we build each other up. I've seen residents take admissions for each other when someone is having a particularly tough day, and I've had residents check in on me when I was on one of the toughest rotations of intern year. It's a culture of pay it forward - if you're having a lighter day but someone's having a more difficult one, you pitch in so that the work gets done. That's one of the most important things for me in this program - the hours are going to be long no matter where you do residency, but having colleagues that will have your back when things get rough makes all the difference.
What do you plan on doing when finished residency (if known)? I am leaning towards a combined Med-Peds fellowship in a subspecialty, but so far it's mostly an open book with regards to what I'd like to go into.
Outside interests: Carnatic music, salsa dancing, sci-fi/fantasy novels
