Medical students win awards at MASA conference

Jing Khoo won first place for her poster presentation.

Two students at the USA College of Medicine won first and second place for research presentations at the Medical Association of the State of Alabama conference held April 9-10 in Montgomery.

Jing Khoo and Kasey Andrews, members of the Class of 2023, won first and second place respectively.

The MASA conferences are held annually for Alabama physicians or students in medical school to connect with others in their chosen field, gain continuing medical education credits and conduct business with the association.

"It is an honor to be selected to present at a professional meeting, and to then be recognized by the organization for the quality of your work is a real achievement," said T.J. Hundley, M.D., associate dean for medical education at the USA College of Medicine. "We are incredibly proud of our students for their success in their presentations. I would also like to congratulate the faculty who supported them in this endeavor.”

Kasey Andrews won second place at the

conference.

Khoo won first place for her presentation about a rare occurrence of fetal intestinal volvulus, an abnormal twisting of the large or small intestine, in a patient with cystic fibrosis. The report discussed the ultrasound findings, surgical interventions and continued care of the infant.

“I felt honored to help care for this infant during my pediatric and surgical rotations. This case demonstrates the efficient infant support provided by care centers with multidisciplinary teams,” she said. “I also hope to raise awareness that fetal intestinal volvulus should be considered when suspecting cystic fibrosis, particularly with abnormal ultrasound signs.”

Khoo is pursuing a career in pediatrics and plans to specialize in critical care. She hopes to contribute to pediatric research and be an engaged community member, empowering children and their families in and out of the hospital.

Andrews won second place for her presentation about how a patient with multiple sclerosis was impacted by health insurance policies. The patient suffered a relapse after her insurer denied coverage for her medication.

“The goal of my report was to give a direct example of how certain policies negatively impact patients as well as provide suggestions for how the medical community can advocate for policy change regarding this,” she said.

Andrews is pursuing a career in pediatrics and plans to specialize in pediatric cardiology. She also is interested in patient advocacy and mental health, and hopes to be able to incorporate these interests into her future training and practice.