“Why do my arms fold this way? How can I feel my heart, but not see it?”

Most children don’t quiz their parents about human anatomy. But Gaelle Antoine, a 2019 graduate of St. George’s University and future anesthesiologist, was fascinated with the workings of the human body from an early age.

“My mother is a nurse, so I spent a great deal of time in hospital wards growing up,” Dr. Antoine said. “I still remember how dedicated she was to her patients, and how thankful they were when they recovered under her care. That connection was inspiring to me—and drove my interest in a career in medicine.”

Earlier thismonth, Dr. Antoine began a yearlong preliminary program in internal medicine at St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, NY. Next year, she’ll start an anesthesiology residency at Brown University, where she’ll be working at Rhode Island Hospital/Lifespan Health System.

Dr. Antoine’s childhood spanned North America. She was born in Brooklyn, but grew up in Haiti. However, the political instability there drove her family to move to Tampa, FL, in 2005. She eventually returned to New York for her senior year of high school. After graduating, Dr. Antoine enrolled at Brooklyn College for preclinical training and Biological Sciences.

She applied to St. George’s University after receiving her college diploma. SGU appealed to Dr. Antoine for many reasons—paramount among them, a family connection.

“My brother actually went to SGU and had a great experience,” Dr. Antoine said. “It was easy for me to decide to attend. It basically runs in my family.”

Choosing a specialty proved more challenging. Pediatrics, OB/GYN, and several others interested her. But when she discovered anesthesiology during her clinical rotations, Dr. Antoine realized she had found her calling.

“Anesthesiology offers the perfect combination of the medical complexities of internal medicine with the procedural aspects of surgery,” she said. “Many of my classmates found the surgeries more interesting. But anesthesiology was more fascinating to me than operations.”

Securing an anesthesiology residency is difficult. But Dr. Antoine impressed her future colleagues at Brown.

“Brown put more weight on the quality of the individual student, and their dedication to learning,” she said. “That was attractive to me.”

Dr. Antoine also appreciated that Brown valued diversity, especially given that anesthesiology has historically been dominated by men.

“The residency program director takes the time to ask the women in our program how he can improve their individual experiences,” she said. “Being in a field that’s 80 percent male—that means so much to me. That’s when I realized Brown was where I wanted to train. I can’t imagine a more supportive community.”

Dr. Antoine attributes her success in part to SGU’s supportive community. “The resources provided in the Department of Educational Services were unparalleled,” she said. “The well-rounded curriculum at St. George’s was key to my success on both my USMLE and in matching into my residency.”

“Our faculty pushed us to be our best—and it wasn’t the easiest at times,” she added. “But in the long run, if you put in the work and stay focused, it will pay off.”

Earlier this month, the members of the St. George’s University Class of 2019 walked across the stage at Lincoln Center to receive their diplomas.

One of those graduates was Dustin Blodgett, who will start a residency in psychiatry at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in July.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Blodgett, who hails from neighboring Tennessee. But since he left his hometown of Murfreesboro at the age of 19, he’s seen quite a bit of the world.

There were the years in Tennessee and Virginia. In Afghanistan, Iraq, and Portugal. And most recently, in Grenada.

“I’m 32 years old—a bit older than your typical medical school student,” Blodgett said. “Medicine was always my ultimate goal, ever since a first-grade career fair. It just took me a little bit longer to get there.”

Blodgett enrolled at the University of Maryland after graduating high school. After one semester at Maryland, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving as a pararescue man with the US Special Forces. His unit was responsible for crossing enemy lines and transporting injured soldiers back to safety. He deployed to several countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan, over a six-year period.

“Every time the siren rang, you knew you were putting yourself in harm’s way,” Blodgett said. “But if you did your job, you could save a lot of people.”

“It’s certainly not the safest career path that you can pursue. My wife wasn’t too thrilled with that,” he said.

Despite the risk, Blodgett excelled in his role. In 2011, he won Airman of the Year at his base in Portugal.

Not long after, he received devastating news. He had Stage 3 melanoma and needed immediate surgery. He and his wife left Portugal that same week—and moved stateside to Washington, DC, for an emergency operation at Walter Reed Hospital.

“I felt pretty invincible before that,” Blodgett admitted. “Getting that diagnosis was an absolute shock.”

Blodgett fought hard against the cancer. He had additional operations and received chemotherapy and biotherapy. For roughly a year, he suffered from side effects resembling flu-like symptoms.

In the midst of his treatment, he finished his undergraduate degree. He’d been taking online courses from the University of Maryland since completing his Air Force training. While hospitalized, he had to take a series of eight different exams to graduate.

Within a single year, Blodgett beat cancer, received his bachelor’s degree, and set his eyes on medical school.

“I’d gotten into US medical schools. But it was a very easy decision to go to St. George’s University,” he said. “I wanted to see the world. And having lived in Portugal, it wasn’t shocking at all to live in a foreign country.”

“Plus, my wife kind of liked the beach,” Blodgett said with a laugh.

So, what’s next for Blodgett? His residency in Kentucky will last five years. He may also pursue additional medical fellowships. His ultimate goal is to specialize in child psychiatry.

“I want to treat adolescents who are at risk of opioid addiction,” he said. “Growing up in Tennessee, I’ve seen the effect of the opioid crisis. Drug abuse starts in adolescence, and I want to be able to support the kids who are struggling.”

“You can help people just by having a single conversation with them,” Blodgett said. “The trust that patients have in their doctors is very unique and special. I want to have those conversations with young adults who struggle with mental health, as I did when I was a kid. I’m confident that my time at St. George’s has prepared me well to do just that.”

 

In what is considered the largest eye care event in Grenada’s history, the School of Medicine’s Division of Ophthalmology, in conjunction with the SGU-Physician Humanitarian Network (SGU-PHuN), recently performed a 14-day clinic with six visiting surgeons equipped with specialized ophthalmic micro-surgical instruments, and three highly-trained technicians—all committed to the goal of increasing the access and delivery of quality vision care at no cost to Grenadian citizens.

Spearheaded by the father-daughter duo of Orazio Giliberti, MD ’82, and Francesca Giliberti, MD ’10, the Division of Ophthalmology partnered in a first-time collaboration with Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International, a non-profit organization which treats a variety of sight-impairing conditions around the world, along with Grenada’s Ministry of Health to ensure its success.

“In an amazing outpouring of philanthropy, our team and SGU’s Division of Ophthalmology secured an additional operating scope, slit lamp, phaco machinery, and microinstruments, as well as, pharmaceutical donations to the SGU-PHuN clinic,” said Orazio Giliberti, MD ’82, FACS. “These machines and materials mimic a US-style operating room, which will allow future graduates, physicians, and SGU friends and guests to provide essential ophthalmic services.

“In its quest to provide much-needed aid to the Grenadian people, the SGU School of Medicine and Division of Ophthalmology continue to be ambassadors for medical education and vision,” added Dr. O. Giliberti.

Led by Dr. Francesca Giliberti, the team arrived in Grenada with more than $200,000 USD worth of equipment and medical supplies. During this two-week mission, the visiting ophthalmology teams evaluated approximately 250 patients and performed 49 surgical procedures, including cataract surgery. The overall donation amount, provided free of charge to the clinic, including airfare, shipping costs, patient visits, and ophthalmic surgeries, totaled over $750,000 USD.

“Overall, the clinic proved to be successful with a strong turnout and positive reviews from patients,” said Francesca Giliberti, MD ’10, JD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at SGU. “Our clinic patients benefited from expert medical advice, and in some instances, underwent vision-saving surgical procedures such as advanced cataract surgery. We were privileged to have an SGUSOM parent and experienced nine-time returning glaucoma and cataract surgeon, Dr. Philip M. Fiore, on this mission. The Division of Ophthalmology and the SGU-PHuN also provide a great resource of clinical material for students to learn.”

“Through the SGU-Physician Humanitarian Network, Dr. Giliberti and his team have performed dozens of surgeries free of cost to the Grenadian people,” said Mr. Brendon La Grenade, Vice Provost for Institutional Advancement. “In 2011, he and his daughter, Francesca launched an ophthalmology clinic in Grenada, which sponsored over 25 physician trips to the island. Since then, the program has attracted the interest of doctors from all over the United States and abroad, including other SGU alumni, who are willing to donate both their time and equipment to such a worthy cause.”

Today, Dr. Orazio Giliberti is the Associate Dean of US Clinical Studies, and the Director of Ophthalmology at St. George’s University, heading a department that boasts no fewer than 30 skilled ophthalmologists. He also owns and operates a private practice, Giliberti Eye and Laser Center, in Totowa, NJ. Giliberti Eye and Laser Center is comprised of three SGU graduates. Dr. Orazio Giliberti works with his daughter, Francesca, who credits her father as the major inspiration in her life, and Dominick I. Golio, MD ’98, who also is a practicing craniofacial and oculoplastic surgeon in New York City.

– Ray-Donna Peters