Student: Bridget Gallagher
For Bridget Gallagher, medicine is personal.
The second-year student in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University balances a rigorous academic schedule while also immersing herself in community health care. It is a vital part of her educational experience that she says is rooted in family, faith and care for the folks around her.
Gallagher’s father was injured in a fall on the family’s farm during Gallagher’s high school years, and she and her sister pushed his wheelchair for several months during his rounds as a cardiac electrophysiologist.
“My sister and I were both considering careers in medicine at the time, and my father saw his injury as an opportunity for us to see if we were willing to give all that medicine might ask,” Gallagher said. “It was equal parts inspiring and challenging, and it opened my eyes to how empowering physicians can be at pivotal points in their patients’ lives.”
The tactic turned into a realization that a career in medicine was the right path for her. Now, she uses every experience she can to contribute to her education and her set of values as a future physician.
Gallagher volunteers at the Pitt County Care Clinic, a partnership between ECU, the Pitt County Health Department and other community agencies that offers care on Sunday afternoons at the health department. She is also in Brody’s service-learning distinction track, a program for select medical students who are focused on working extensively with medically underserved, marginalized and rural populations during their medical school careers.
Bridget Gallagher volunteers as part of the Pitt County Care Clinic Jan. 9 at the Pitt County Health Department.
The emphasis on underserved patients was one deciding factor that made Gallagher ultimately choose Brody for her medical education.
“I chose Brody because I wanted to learn from and alongside people who cared about service in medicine and were willing to take the time and energy to think critically about their community’s needs,” she said. “As medical students, we are constantly reminded that choosing to be a doctor is choosing to be a lifelong learner. The context usually applies to the growing pool of clinical knowledge and hard facts, but I think it also applies to learning from the experiences and perspectives of those we interact with daily, professors and patients alike.”
Those interactions, she added, hinge upon good communication.
“From what I can see so far in my training, successful assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a patient is some clinical knowledge and a significant amount of trust and good communication,” she said. “I am able for now to practice and prioritize relating with others and creating a comfortable environment so that communication comes more freely.”
While her activities and studies lend her valuable experience in rural health and patient care, Gallagher is keeping an open mind about what type of medicine she will one day practice, and where.
“The early pandemic hit particularly close to home for our family, and through those experiences, I have learned to hold future plans with an open palm rather than a closed fist,” she said. “I could see myself returning to the mountains of western North Carolina down the road. I am unsure of what kind of medicine I ultimately want to practice but am hopeful that my upcoming third year rotations will offer some clarity.”
Wherever she eventually ends up, Gallagher will hold tight to her roots and remember not only where she came from but what they represent.
“So far, medical school has taught me to stay rooted in and reminded of what your values are and your purpose is,” she said. “At best, medicine prolongs life. Whether you are the doctor or the patient, I think being grounded in what brings significance to your life is foundational to all aspects of mental and physical health.”
What advice do you have for other students? For medical students, have your support system on speed dial, befriend your classmates and seek mentorship. Medicine is a unique path with its own set of challenges, and having others go the distance alongside and ahead of you makes a difference.
STATISTICS
Name: Bridget Gallagher
College: Brody School of Medicine
Age: 25
Classification/Year: Second-year medical student
Hometown: Columbus
Hobbies/interests: Farmworker health, rock climbing and pretty much anything outside
Clubs and Organizations: Pitt County Care Clinic, Medical Spanish Interest Group, Christian Medical and Dental Association
FAVORITES
Favorite hangout: River Park North
Favorite place on campus: Ping pong tables in the student lounge
Favorite place to eat: Mario’s tacos
Favorite class: Pathology
Professor who influenced you the most: Dr. Tom Irons and Dr. Greg Hassler
Favorite TV show: “The Crown”
Favorite band/musician: Mumford & Sons
Favorite movie: “A Knight’s Tale”
Favorite website: diddukewin.com
MOTIVATIONS
Dream job: Physician
Role model: Paul Farmer
Your words to live by: Love your neighbor as yourself.
What is something cool about ECU that you wish you knew during your first year? How accomplished and caring my class was! We started our first year earlier in the pandemic and most of us weren’t able to meet and get to know everyone until our second year.