For 150 years, Rose-Hulman has educated students who become engineers, scientist entrepreneurs, and renowned researchers. There is another group of students who also graduate Rose to leave their mark in the medical profession. These physicians practice medicine in hospitals, a clinic in remote Africa, and even through YouTube. While these doctors have varying specialties and interests, they share one commonality: they all credit Rose-Hulman for their success in medical school and as a practicing physician.
Dr. Abigail Etters: Finding Purpose and Connection in Medicine
Dr. Abigail Etters feels the secret to succeeding in medical school and being a physician is believing in yourself and the human connection. As a hospitalist at Union Hospital, Dr. Etters thrives in that human connection as she treats patients every day. It’s a fast-paced job that the 2016 biochemistry alumna describes as a giant puzzle.
And according to Dr. Etters, her undergraduate years at Rose-Hulman led her to seek out the human side of medicine and made possible her career as a doctor.
“Rose prepared me [for medical school and being a doctor] because it was a challenging environment, but it modeled the supportive way to get through something difficult,” said Dr. Etters. “Rose showed me that you don’t just quit something because it’s hard. You have the right friends, faculty and role models in place to set you up for getting through difficult things and pushing yourself. … It was that solid foundation that helped me get through medical school.”
Read more about Dr. Etters’ story here.
Dr. Nathan Goergen: Bridging Engineering and Medicine with Innovation
Dr. Nathan Goergen, a 2004 electrical engineering alumnus, may be a practicing anesthesiologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. But throughout his career as a physician, he’s found several ways to incorporate the engineering skills he learned at Rose-Hulman into medicine and research.
Recently, Dr. Goergen coded a virtual voice assistant that is custom tailored to the needs of anesthesiologists. He describes it like Alexa, but designed for doctors in the operating room. The virtual assistant, named Jenkins (complete with a British accent), charts drug administrations, looks up information from the patient’s medical chart, performs safety checks for things like patient allergies, and he can even call other nearby anesthesiologists for help with an emergency in the operating room.
Growing up, the Alexandria, Minnesota, native had a strong interest in electronics and coding, which contributed to his decision to attend Rose-Hulman. After graduating, Dr. Goergen went on to pursue a master’s degree in computer science from DePaul University before ultimately completing a PhD in electrical engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2011. He credits his undergraduate education at Rose as one of the reasons he was successful in medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“I think having an engineering background really helped me ‘think through’ the body’s physiological processes in medical school as opposed to memorizing concepts, which is a large part of traditional medical education,” said Dr. Goergen. “While many of my classmates focused on (and struggled with) memorization, my engineering training helped me understand and remember quite a bit without resorting to brute force memorization.”
“As an anesthesiologist, the thermal and fluid dynamics classes I took at Rose were extremely beneficial in understanding how the body’s pulmonary and cardiovascular systems work – and how ventilators and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines work.”
Dr. Goergen’s affiliation with Rose did not end when he graduated. Over the last five years, he’s been working with Dr. Mario Simoni, professor and head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and other Rose engineering departments on several senior capstone engineering projects that have a medical focus. His latest collaboration with Dr. Simoni is developing a low-cost syringe pump for use in resource-poor locations around the world. Their goal is to make a compact syringe pump for under $100 each.
“Our department [at University of Nebraska Medical Center] has a global health outreach trip each year to Zambia (previously Rwanda), where we practice clinically in the ORs and participate in education,” said Dr. Goergen. “I traveled to Zambia in September to participate in this effort and will showcase the Rose syringe pump design while I’m there.”
Dr. Andrew Koustenis: Advancing Patient Care with a Foundation in Biomedical Engineering
From a young age, Dr. Andrew Koustenis, a Rose-Hulman 2015 biomedical engineering alumnus, enjoyed applying science to practical solutions. Dr. Koustenis chose a biomedical engineering major to pursue both engineering and medicine.
As he went through medical school, residency and now as a practicing physician at IU North Hospital in Carmel, IN, he still returns to the foundation of his undergraduate years. Specifically, taking the math and science principles and problem-solving skills he learned at Rose and applying them to practical, real-world solutions.
“The education you get at Rose is excellent,” said Dr. Koustenis. “The faculty members are some of the best in the country in engineering, math and science, and the school creates a positive learning environment for students in very rigorous fields. … There’s a reason Rose-Hulman has been ranked the No. 1 engineering school for 25 years.”
Read more about Dr. Koustenis’ story here.
Dr. Brian Sutterer: Building a National Audience with Sports Medicine Expertise
When Dr. Brian Sutterer graduated from Rose-Hulman with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering (2011) and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering three years later, his plan included attending medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine and becoming a physician. He did not imagine, however, one day becoming nationally known in the field of sports medicine through his popular YouTube channel with close to 800,000 subscribers.
Dr. Sutterer’s primary field is physical medicine and rehabilitation. After completing a fellowship in sports medicine, he now works as a sports medicine physician at a community orthopedics group in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He also works as a team doctor for Southeast Missouri State University
His YouTube channel is all about teaching the medical side of the sports world and providing simple to understand education about sports medicine. Specifically, he explains sports injuries in a way the casual fan can understand.
“I enjoy teaching and following sports so it’s the perfect combination of these two passions,” said Dr. Sutterer. “When there’s any major sports injury or medical news, I will make a 5-to-10-minute video providing some commentary and education on what happened. It always impresses me how eager people are to learn!”
Dr. Sutterer was born outside St. Louis but moved to Terre Haute when his father accepted a position as professor of civil engineering at Rose-Hulman. Growing up, the Institute played a big part in Sutterer’s life, and he often attended sports events and other campus functions with his family.
“I saw how great of a school it was from an early age, and then once I initially decided on engineering, it was a clear choice,” said Dr. Sutterer.
He credits Rose for helping prepare him for medical school and being a practicing physician.
“Rose taught me how to problem solve and it developed the ethic needed to make it through medical training,” said Dr. Sutterer. “Medical school requires a lot of discipline and hard work. The rigor of an engineering education at Rose helped develop those skills.”
“When it comes to actually practicing as a doctor, particularly in sports medicine, there is a lot of problem solving and critical thinking as we try to figure out what is wrong with a patient. Engineering is the perfect background for that and Rose-Hulman was the perfect place to improve that skill.”
Dr. Gary Ulrich: Making a Difference as a Physician in the Heart of Sudan
In fall 2023, Rose-Hulman alumnus Dr. Gary Ulrich (Biology, 2017) practiced medicine at the Mother of Mercy Hospital in the war-torn Nuba Mountains in Sudan, Africa, in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is the only hospital for a 300-mile radius and serves a population of more than 1.3 million people in a place that is the size of West Virginia.
Dr. Ulrich feels Rose-Hulman ingrained in him qualities that prepared him for his career as a physician, as well as life — perseverance, integrity and a strong work ethic.
“It’s like doing a year of medical school in a month … everything and anything is possible,” said Dr. Ulrich, describing his experience working in the Nuba Mountains.
Read Dr. Ulrich’s story here.