LECOM Scholar Works with Dr. Oz

"Working with Dr. Oz and his team was an invaluable experience. I learned to craft complex medical knowledge into easily-digestible, entertaining, and informative health messages for the general public." – Melissa Sussman, MPH

Melissa Sussman, MPH, returned to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) as a fourth-year student in May 2021, after completing her position as a Medical Student Researcher at The Dr. Oz Show in New York City, New York.

Throughout her time with the show, Sussman provided content and information for scripts, medical animations, and media materials, building upon her preclinical and clinical knowledge, health policy background, and theater experience.

“I am very thankful for the support of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and for the education that allowed me the opportunity to work with Dr. Oz and his talented and professional team at The Dr. Oz Show. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of media in educating the public and conveying health-based news and information in a clear, concise, and meaningful way. Working with Dr. Oz and his team was an invaluable experience where I learned to craft complex medical knowledge into easily-digestible, entertaining, and informative health messages for the general public. It was extremely rewarding to combine my passions for medicine, public health, and performance to enrich the lives of viewers. I shall carry these skills and experiences with me to enhance my future medical practice and to better serve my patients," commented the grateful scholar. In an effusive and heartfelt letter to LECOM, Sussman emphasized her gratitude to the College for the exceptional education that underpinned her work and that facilitated the opportunities that she has experienced thus far.

In February of 2021, and further underscoring Sussman’s accomplishments, her article entitled, Considerations of HLA, Renal Failure, Valproic Acid Use, and Current Treatment Guidelines in Clozapine-Induced Agranulocytosis, was published in the Hindawi Journal of Case Reports in Psychiatry.

This case report examines risk factor screening for clozapine treatment and studies the current management protocol improvements for clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. This case was derived from Sussman's third-year clerkship at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York.

From a medical student researcher on a television show to a published researcher, Melissa Sussman has shown herself to be an emblematic LECOM scholar evocative of the worthy endeavors of the medical calling.

LECOM extends its hearty congratulations to Melissa Sussman, MPH.