Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Gianna Guzzardo

Meet Dr. Gianna Guzzardo, a current fourth-year Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Vice President of Trinity’s Alumni Association. With roots in Michigan and a passion for helping children, Gianna’s journey into medicine is as inspiring as it is unique. From overcoming her own injury as a high school cheerleader to finding her calling in pediatric care, she has navigated a remarkable path marked by resilience, research, and a commitment to making a difference in the lives of young patients. Join us as we explore Gianna’s experiences, her insights on medical education, and the valuable lessons she’s learned along the way.

What’s your academic background?

I grew up in Michigan and I did my undergrad at Michigan Ann Arbor University with a major in Kinesiology, which was my initial interest in medicine.

What brought you into medicine?

It all started with an injury in high school. I was a cheerleader and I tore my ACL so I think just going through that whole process and the surgery and the rehab and learning more about my body changed my interests. Then, I went to college and focused on Kinesiology and I loved the movement science and biomechanics aspect of it. For Pediatrics, I think I have always loved working with kids. Going into my rotations with an open mind solidified that I wanted to do that.

Where did you match?

I matched at Corewell Health William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, which was great because I was able to go back home after graduation.

Do you think that Trinity prepared you for the match?

Yes! I think if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do you’ll do just fine. For me to get 10 interviews, they recommended applying to 100 programs since they said that every 10 applications would get me one interview. I applied to a lot, but in the end, I had to turn down interviews which was nice. I was lucky enough to match at my top choice in my hometown so that was the cherry on top of everything.  

What was your residency program like?

I was able to be part of an accelerated residency program through the American Board of Pediatrics which has allowed me to complete a short residency and have an extra year in my fellowship that is research-focused. That’s what I’m doing right now at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.

Are you involved in any research?

Yes! A lot of the research that I do now specializes in pediatric sickle cell disease and new therapies and coagulation aspects of that. My initial interest in sickle cell disease started on the island, just because there is a larger patient population and it was the first time I learned about it. I was able to work with those patients and that inspired me to stay interested in that realm. When I lived in Baltimore, I participated in a virtual internship with a support group out of India for patients who had sickle cell disease, but my initial interest was sparked on the island.

Why did you choose Trinity and what ultimately helped you make the decision?

So my cousin applied first and got in and she had recommended that I apply to Trinity. I applied to the U.S. and didn’t get in and I was just trying to figure out what I was going to do. I was considering alternative career paths, maybe taking more classes, so I was just trying to figure it out, and my cousin told me “Just apply, and let’s see what happens.” And it was honestly the best thing that I’ve ever done. I credit her for a lot. Obviously, on the island, your friends become your family while you’re there but truly having someone that you could count on was always really nice. It was a very unique experience.  

What was the transition like from where you moved to the island?

The transition was great. I truly loved the island, I think it’s a place that teaches you a lot. Being able to slow down and appreciate the little things was very big. I loved that there were no distractions. Being able to explore and call a new place home was very beautiful. It was important to take advantage of all the island had to offer in your off-time. I loved paddle boarding every weekend.

Were you involved in any organizations at Trinity?

Yes! I was able to participate in a World Pediatric mission which was an amazing experience. We worked with some very amazing neurosurgeons out of Atlanta, GA. It was just a great experience to see what the scope of global health could really do. I think that inspired me as well. I was also in student government, both on the island and in Baltimore. My roommate and I also started the Pediatric Interest Group and through that, we did a lot of volunteer work with people in the area. We did this Super Bowl Sunday Chili Bowl where we’d provide food and supplies to the homeless people in Baltimore. We also worked at a shelter for women and children through one of the churches and volunteer clinics around the area.  

What are the clerkships (rotations) like at Trinity?

My rotations were great! I feel like I had a vast number of experiences between Baltimore and D.C.. I got to experience a lot and I had great mentors and clinical instructors that helped guide me to where I am today and rooted my initial interest in research. During electives, I did a research elective with a Pediatric Hematologist at Johns Hopkins and that also had a big influence on me and my career path.  

Do you have any stand-out memories, stories, or experiences regarding your time at Trinity?

I have two distinct ones. The first is Thanksgiving. Our friends had a house and we all made food. My cousin and I made a traditional ethnic dish from back home and we basically just all made dishes. I just remember having this meal with all my friends who were my new family. I remember that distinctly. The second one has to be the sailing trip we took on a weekend after an exam. We went to the Tobago Cays and swam with turtles, we had freshly caught lobster around the beach wearing no shoes. Those types of things you would just never experience anywhere else. I distinctly remember that whole weekend. It was a very unique experience that not everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of. I also really loved anything to do with Bequia.

What’s the best advice you’d share with a prospective Trinity student?

Be persistent in what you want. Continuing to go after what you want out of an experience is really important, out of a career or out of your life, having that persistence really does get you far and allows you to create opportunities for yourself that may not have necessarily been there. I think Trinity is a very good example of that. I think that once you get to the island if you’re persistent in what you want and what you want out of it, then you’re going to have a great time, you’re going to do really well in school, and you’re going to end up exactly where you want to be.        

Recent News as of October 2024:

What’s a typical day like for an Oncology/Hematology Fellow?

It really depends on what we’re doing. In our first year of fellowship, we’re working on the hematology/oncology inpatient floor so I’m taking care of patients with a new oncology diagnosis as well as planned or scheduled chemo admissions. We also take care of our hematology patients like sickle cell patients who come in with pain or acute chest or any hemophilia patient post-op. I feel like those are the common patients we take care of in our inpatient service. Sickle cell patients take up the majority.

You can also be on a consult where you see anybody in the hospital and a lot of that is to help manage patients with lab abnormalities, a lot of iron deficiency/anemia, or other things such as toddlers with too much milk intake or teenage girls with heavy menstrual bleeding. We work closely with our ICU so we take care of anyone who has anemia for unknown causes. We manage all the anticoagulation for all of our ECMO and bag patients, which is a little unique. Not all Hematologists do that. We also do a lot of thrombotic management on the consult service so anywhere like NICU or PICU or really anyone.

It’s probably similar to what most people do during residency where you do your 7 to 6 during the day doing those things. The nice difference of fellowship is that you get to do calls from home and then come in if there are any emergencies. Another difference for fellowships is that for Peds Hem-Onc, your first year is clinical-heavy. So, that’s 12 months of being in service. Then, the second two years are research-focused. So, you have a continuity clinic one day a week, you cover service to help out with the first-years, cover vacations, and things like that. Most of the time you’re focused on research so it gets better after the first year.

Right now, I’m in the clinic one day a week and then I have four days where I do admin and research-related tasks and I’ve done that for my second, third, and, fourth years. In the clinic, I’ve seen routine oncology patients, we follow off-therapy patients, new consults, sickle-cell patients, and hemophilia bleeding patients. We also have a lot of comprehensive clinics that we participate in, so like a comprehensive bleeding disorder clinic, we have a flow clinic which is a heavy menstrual bleeding clinic, oncology clinic, or adolescent medicine clinic. So, there are opportunities in the clinical setting that you can also get involved in.  

What would you like others to know about Pediatric Hematology/Oncology?

Everyone thinks it’s sad, and there are days when it’s difficult, but what I think is cool is that it’s a very dynamic and evolving field. It’s becoming more precise and patient-directed. There are more monoclonal antibodies that we’re using, we’re doing bispecific antibodies, it is patient-focused medicine that targets certain genes that are in the tumors. That’s where oncology is going which is cool and that serves for a lot of continuously to be updated but also ever-ongoing research. It’s just a very dynamic field and it’s really fun for someone who gets to participate in that.

Are you still involved in sickle-cell research?

I still do a lot of that. I came in with an interest in sickle cell and then I liked the coagulation aspect of things so like hemostasis and thrombosis. A lot of what I’ve done is looking at the mix of the two so hemostatic and thrombotic complications within patients with sickle cell disease. That’s what I’m planning to do moving forward when I find my real job and finish training.

What are your future plans?

So I finish my fellowship in December. I did an accelerated residency so I could have an extra research year. The plan is to stay as an attending at my current institution where I’ll still be able to do patient care in Hematology specifically which is my focus although when we work inpatient we see oncology patients as well. I want to still be able to continue my research. Through the American Society of Hematology, I recently applied for a research training program that I selected for this year so I’m going through that this year with them. My ultimate career goal is to apply for NIH funding or an early career K23 program for a more clinical research-focused position.

What are you doing for fun nowadays?

My husband and I really like to travel so we do a lot of that. We both independently like to travel so we both have been able to go to some pretty cool places. I’m very outdoorsy so I do some camping as well as some family time. I also enjoy sitting on my couch and watching TV.  

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