During their years at the UNC School of Medicine, medical students have many opportunities to be involved in innovative research spanning every specialty and discipline of care. These experiences build students’ academic understanding and clinical insight, and for some, they ignite a lifelong passion for discovery and patient-centered innovation. <\/p>\n
For Avani Desai<\/a>, a fourth-year student, that transformation began under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Smith<\/a>, Professor of Urology and a member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Working with Dr. Smith throughout all four years, Desai helped to pilot a study that could fundamentally change the way patients experience a key aspect of bladder cancer care. <\/p>\n The study focused on improving patient comfort during office cystoscopy, a procedure performed on millions each year and often associated with pain and anxiety. This initial feasibility study will lay the groundwork for a larger, multi-institutional trial on interventions to reduce patient stress and discomfort during office cystoscopy. <\/p>\n