Ranjith Babu: Reviewing Charts and Meeting Patients with Glioblastoma BACK

Published by AFAR

My experience thus far in the MSTAR program has been both enlightening and motivating. I am currently doing glioblastoma (brain tumor) research at the Duke University Medical Center and have been making good progress. I have identified a cohort for the basis of my projects and am performing chart reviews to extract the necessary data for analysis. I am pretty excited to finish completing all of the data collection and begin analysis, which will surely provide insights for improving the management of glioblastoma in the elderly. Performing chart reviews has also vastly increased my knowledge in the treatments for glioblastoma, the side effects of medical and surgical therapy, and prognostic factors for survival.

In addition to my clinical research, I have been going to a brain tumor clinic every week. This has been a profoundly inspiring experience which has refreshed my motivation for becoming an academic neurosurgeon. Interviewing patients and hearing their stories reminds me of the hardships that patients go through after being diagnosed with aggressive and devastating diseases such as glioblastoma. Not only must they undergo craniotomies for surgical resection, a highly invasive and high-risk procedure, but they must also receive radiotherapy and prolonged courses of chemotherapy. It is heart breaking to see grandparents whose only request is to be able to attend their grandchild’s graduation, piano recital, or birthday, a promise we frequently cannot make.

These research and clinical experiences have been both professionally and personally enriching. While I continue to toil away at the computer to finish my data collection, I will have the memories of the brain tumor patients pushing me forward.

Ranjith Babu
Duke University School of Medicine

"Diary of an MSTAR Student" follows scholars in the 2012 Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program, highlighting their summer experiences. As they continue their path of research, training and clinical practice, read their daily thoughts at www.afar.org/mstarblog. New diary entries are posted every day, so check back soon.