Berkin Ulgen, a first-year student at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has published a paper in Neurosurgery Online, the official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
The paper, "Augusta Déjerine-Klumpke, M.D. (1859-1927): a historical perspective on Klumpke's palsy," was published in the August 2008 issue. The paper is a biography of Dr. Klumpke, an early and important contributor to the descriptions and treatments of neurological diseases. Klumpke's palsy was first described by her in 1885.
Integrated into the biography are three works she wrote, including her 1885 paper on lower trunk brachial plexus palsy. The papers were only available in their original French. Ulgen said his research team translated them for an English audience for the first time.
"What is perhaps most remarkable about Dr. Klumpke's story, especially from a non-medical perspective, is the timing of her achievements," Mr. Ulgen said. "Dr. Klumpke reached the highest echelons of academic medicine in a time when such opportunities were absolutely closed to women. In her biography we explore how her studious upbringing and her intellect paved the way for succeeding at every academic level, culminating in her becoming the first woman accepted to the highly competitive positions needed to practice academic medicine in late 19th century France."
Mr. Ulgen, 23, is originally from Ann Arbor. He completed his undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University.He became interested in medicine during a Summer Science Academy program while in high school. The two-week program at the University of Michigan introduced him to the field of medicine.
"This was my first real exposure to medicine as a career, and what I came away with from this experience is the intrinsic meaningfulness of the medical profession, i.e. the ability to help others, that in my opinion most other career paths lack," he explained.
Mr. Ulgen is president of the School of Medicine's Board of Student Organizations (BSO), which serves as a liaison to the Student Senate and administration on behalf of student organizations. The entity also works to create opportunities for intra-organization cooperation, including such events as the Student Orgs Fair during New Student Orientation, the student group sponsoring of Orientation Week social events and the Ethnic Fair, he said.
The BSO this year created a webstite - http://www.med.wayne.edu/bso/ -- for student organization leadership, created a database of contact information of all organizations and worked to streamline intra-organizational events.
In addition, Mr. Ulgen is treasurer of the World Health Student Organization, and serves on the Social Work Committee for the Student Run Free Clinic, which organizers hope to have open and running by fall 2009.
While unsure of his career pursuits after graduation, he is interested in cardiology and surgery. "What draws me to cardiology is the need for qualified cardiologists to deal with the high morbidity rates of heart disease that plagues our country. I also think that the heart is just a fascinating organ."
After graduation, he plans to devote time each year caring for underserved patient populations at home and abroad. He hopes to work with Doctors Without Borders.
Mr. Ulgen selected Wayne State University for his medical training for a variety of reasons. "The School of Medicine is a fabulous research institution as evidenced by its ranking in the top 25 of medical schools in terms of National Institutes of Health funding," he said. "Another reason is the top-notch clinical training at affiliated hospitals, which provide diverse learning environments and a chance to serve the underserved populations of Detroit."