Conversations with an Alum – Shelby Melton, M.D., ’04, Pathology
Residency: Emory University School of Medicine 2004-2008
Fellowships: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Molecular Genetic Pathology 2008-2009
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Gastrointestinal Pathology 2009-2010
Current Position: Pathologist at Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System
What is your fondest memory of your time at McGovern Medical School?
It all really blends into a blur. I can tell you it absolutely is not studying for the Neuro final. Nine lectures on the eye really seemed a little excessive to me . But when I think of McGovern Medical School, it’s not really a memory. It’s still part of my life. The friends I made there are still some of my closest friends today. Friendship is the best thing I took away from UT Houston.
What are your hopes for today’s McGovern Medical School students?
First, I hope you all have the same priceless experiences I had, and more. In addition to the lifetime friendships, enjoy and embrace your training. It’s invaluable. Take the education seriously, as the things that you will do will change people’s lives. Challenge yourself to do better, work harder, and match your first-ranked choice on Match Day. Finally, don’t forget where you came from. Our alumni participation is growing, but we still are not where we need to be. Maintain your relationship to this great school.
What inspires you?
People who work harder and give more than they need to. Real heroes. Not that Hollywood crap.
Who is your mentor?
I’ve had some great ones. My Physiology teacher from SFASU, Dr Don Hay. At UT Houston, Dr Strobel was and has been a great friend and mentor (and wedding officiant!) Dr Charlie Hill at Emory University School of Medicine has been a wonderful friend, colleague, and mentor in Molecular Diagnostics. My gastrointestinal pathology fellowship director and currently colleague, Dr Robert Genta, is a fantastic diagnostician and academic collaborator.
What’s a day on the job like?
Come to work, go through emails, sign out cases with or without residents, then paperwork. I’ve also got regularly schedule conference calls and committee meetings. A little research here, a few procedures there, and a regular intermixing of administrative duties in the molecular, flow cytometry, and immunology labs. Rinse and repeat.
What skill is most vital to your job?
I think the obvious answer for a pathologist is attention to detail. But I would also add that just as critical is understanding the clinical implications that follows the reports we generate. “Why am I doing this? What does this mean for this patient’s therapy or prognosis?” In the clinical laboratories, quality is the most important characteristic of a result. Can you trust that this result is accurate and precise?
What’s on your iPod?
Metal. Soilwork, Lamb of God, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Anthrax, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Faith No More, and of course Sevendust.
Who would you most like to meet (alive or deceased) and why?
Ferris Bueller. He’s a righteous dude.
What has been your greatest adventure?
Riding a bicycle down the Swiss Alps in the Lauterbrunnen valley with my wife on our honeymoon. Most gorgeous scenery on Earth. Jumping off a cliff on Dragon’s Teeth in China Bowl at Vail was pretty stupid, it turns out.
What are your three all-time favorite books/magazines/blogs for leisure reading?
- Lord Of The Rings
- Daily Mail Football
- Alton Brown’s Good Eats, volumes 1-3