MANHATTAN BOUND
ECU resident turns reporter with ABC News
An East Carolina University emergency medicine resident will be putting down her stethoscope and picking up a notepad for a major television network for the next three weeks.
Dr. Jessica Rose, a second-year resident at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU, has been selected for an internship with ABC News in New York City.
Dr. Jessica Rose
“It is very exciting,” said Rose, 29. “I think it will open my eyes to what people want to know about medicine.”
Another ECU medical resident, Dr. Jenniffier Mahand of family medicine, has been selected for a rotation with ABC News in June.
Rose left Thursday for New York. Her rotation begins March 12 and lasts until March 30. During that time, she will work in the ABC News medical unit supporting ABCNews.com, “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.” She will also support chief health and medical editor Dr. Rich Besser.
Rose will research medical stories, call doctors about studies and write for ABC News.com. In some cases, she will review studies that are released early to the media under embargo by journals or by medical institutions hoping to stimulate news coverage. Part of the job will be determining the scientific merits and clinical implications of the research and writing appropriate summaries for evaluation.
“We are very excited about the opportunity that Dr. Rose has to participate in this unique opportunity with ABC News,” said Dr. Darla Liles, director of accreditation for graduate medical education at ECU. “It is exciting for the entire East Carolina community and highlights the diversity and interests of our residents.”
Rose has a bachelor’s degree in English from Lyon College in her native Arkansas and considered pursing a master’s degree in English literature, but medicine had a stronger draw for her. She went to medical school at the University of Arkansas.
After she was selected for the rotation, she looked online and found a room to rent in an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, about 40 blocks from ABC News headquarters. She plans to commute to work on the subway.
Her three weeks with ABC will count as an elective rotation in her emergency medicine residency program.
She said she’s looking forward to seeing how TV news works, meeting people and exploring the city, which she’s visited before.
Her husband, Dr. Michael Rose, also a second-year emergency medicine resident at ECU, went with her to New York but won’t be staying. Jessica Rose said they are used to rotations in different cities, so these three weeks won’t be much different.
Rose said she doesn’t plan to become a TV reporter, but she hopes the experience will help her better communicate about medicine, perhaps through a newspaper column when she returns to Arkansas following residency.
“I think I’ll always practice, but it could be something I add to my career,” she said.