COM Outlook Spring 2020

+ Health (M.P.H.) degree. “Because of my interest in global outreach, I was targeting programs that allowed me to concurrently pursue an M.P.H. The KPCOM’s subsidized program for medical students gave me the perfect avenue to pursue this,” Desai said. “During my first year at the KPCOM, I was able to participate in the India medical outreach trip, where we worked with medical professionals in a village hospital setting,” added Desai, who also enjoyed the selective rotations he did in India and Argentina. He also enjoyed his new U.S. home base. “Coming from Chicago, I also wanted a new experience. I had previously lived in a few cities in the Midwest, as well as in Washington, D.C., and Texas. It was hard to beat the beaches and beautiful South Florida weather.” With his four-year KPCOM journey culminating in May at the graduation ceremony, Desai is making good on his grandfather’s prognostication that metal will be the primary tool he uses in his career. “I have chosen to pursue urological surgery, as it aligns very closely with my future endeavors,” he explained. During his clinical rotations, Desai worked with a group of pediatric urologists in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who host a bladder exstrophy camp in India every year. “They have created a model that treats children with this con- genital abnormality and trains Indian surgeons at the same time,” he said. “Being able to do something like this was the reason I chose to leave baseball for medicine. It also combines my passions for public health and global outreach.” o According to Desai, urology is a very specialized field, so there is a substantial need for genitourinary care from both a domestic and international perspective. “I hope to pursue a fellowship in pediatric urology or genitouri- nary reconstruction and practice within an academic setting once I complete my residency training,” he said. “My final goal is to lead long-term, sustainable outreach camps in third-world countries that work to establish and maintain comprehensive care for those in need.” Desai, who will begin his urology residency at The University of Texas at San Antonio in July, also hopes to use his background in applied mathematics to conduct research using big data in global urology. “Big data is becoming a hot topic in urology, and it’s ironic that I was able to find a field that combines my experience in baseball analytics and interest in public health to work on improving population health outcomes,” he said. Desai hones his osteopathic manipulative treatment skills. EMBRACING THE FUTURE