Page 30 - 2019 Annual Report

IMPACT MEDICINE
DEPARTMENT OF ANESTHESIOLOGY
Dr. Clarence Shannon Gives Back Through Mentorship and Training
Finding excitement in teaching, Clarence Shannon, MD, continues working as an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology because of the sense of purpose it gives him.
He focuses his efforts on mentoring students to pay back the kindness that he received from his mentors.
“I love teaching medical school students and residents. I think it’s incredibly important to mentor and give back,” Dr. Shannon says.
His interest in pain management was sparked thanks to his mentors during his first year of medical school.
“They were very interested in my education, and helped me get through medical school. So I know first-hand how important mentorship is,” Dr. Shannon says.
Following in the footsteps of his mentors, he would like
to continue to learn and grow as he has seen those before him do.
“My ultimate goal is to help people with pain keep doing the things they love,” he says.
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE
Dr. Anne Blaes Aims to Improve Outcomes for Cancer Survivors
There are more than 16 million cancer survivors in the United States. Anne Blaes, MD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, is determined to improve outcomes for these individuals.
Even if they are cured, cancer survivors’ life expectancies are not the same as if they never had cancer. They are more likely to die of secondary cancers, recurrent cancers, or cardiovascular disease.
“My research focuses on the area of cancer survivorship,” Dr. Blaes says. “From the time of diagnosis, through their cancer trajectory and really throughout the entirety of their life.”
But, she doesn’t stop with seeing patients—instead,
Dr. Blaes takes a multi-pronged approach to patient care.
“I’m taking care of patients today, which is making an impact on them now,” she says. “Then, there’s the research that is changing how we provide care, and lastly, we’re educating for the future.”
28 med.umn.edu/impact-medicine