Ep124 | Medical School Detours: Nick Sasso, MAT

Medicus

In this mini-series, we talk to individuals who took a detour in medical school and did not stick to the traditional 4-year curriculum. Nick Sasso, MAT comes from the world of education, having been a teacher in Chicago for half a decade before embarking on his medical school journey. He is currently a fourth-year medical student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and is applying for residency in neurology. Already a non-traditional student, Nick's journey through medical school took further unexpected turns when his health began to quickly deteriorate. It took the care of one very tenacious physician to realize the diagnosis: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and its associated complications. In this episode, Nick recounts his experiences with chronic illness during medical school, taking a leave of absence, and his desire to spread awareness around POTS, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and dysautonomia. He encourages all aspiring and current clinicians to read up on these conditions via the following articles:

Bryarly, M., et al. (2019). Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: JACC Focus Seminar. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 73(10), 1207–1228.

Bateman, L., et al. (2021). Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Essentials of Diagnosis and Management. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 96(11), 2861–2878.

Volcheck, M., et al. (2023). Central sensitization, chronic pain, and other symptoms: Better understanding, better management. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 90(4), 245–254.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 8/30/23

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