Scottish Rite for Children offers a Medical Student Research Fellowship (MSRF) for medical students interested in gaining experience in clinical research. Fellows work with a lead faculty mentor throughout the year and several project supervisors who are pediatric orthopedic faculty at Scottish Rite. Fellows work as a crucial part of the research teams in various Centers for Excellence at Scottish Rite and are responsible for a variety of research projects.

Meet Shamrez, a 2022 MSRF at Scottish Rite, who works with William Z. Morris, M.D., in the Center for Excellence in Hip.

What inspired you to apply for the MSRF position?
I had numerous reasons to apply to the MSRF program, but a main motivating factor was to gain the necessary skills and experiences in research that I will need in the future, as I hope to have a career in academic medicine as an orthopedic surgeon.

Have you always been interested in medicine and/or research?
I was previously on trajectory for a career in finance, but eventually pivoted to medicine and found my way to medical school at UT Southwestern. From there, I was interested in orthopedics from early on in medical school and hope to apply into orthopedic residency next fall. 

What is it like working at Scottish Rite for Children?
Scottish Rite is a welcoming and pleasant place to work. There is plenty of support and easy access to the faculty for guidance and networking. 

Can you share a few sentences about someone at Scottish Rite who has been a mentor to you and how they have impacted your experience? What project are you working on with that mentor?
My main mentor here has been William Z. Morris, M.D., who has been a fantastic mentor. He used his previous experience from doing a research year himself to prioritize all the things that he learned worked well in his mentorship for my experience. He is incredibly approachable, supportive and knowledgeable about research and always finds opportunities to educate. We are working on numerous hip projects together, including projects on femoral neck fractures, hip dysplasia and slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). 

How do you think this experience will impact your career path?
I hope this year in the MSRF program leads me to my next goal of matching to a great orthopedic residency program, so I can begin my career in orthopedics. 

What progress have you made toward your career goal since beginning the program?
Since beginning, Dr. Morris, the team and I have completed a review article on SCFE, which has been published in the Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society North America (POSNA). We additionally have finished two other projects for which we submitted abstracts to POSNA and hope to have completed manuscripts to submit for publication soon. 

What is your favorite project that you are currently working on or have worked on at Scottish Rite?
I don’t have a specific favorite, but the project we are nearly finished with about treatment of traumatic femoral neck fractures with locking plates has been very interesting. That is something that has not been previously studied in the pediatric population, so this project will be the first to report on locking plates for this specific injury. 

What advice do you have for future CORA/MSRF participants?
Specifically for future MSRF candidates, don’t be afraid to take an extra year to ensure your career goals are more within reach. Matching to an orthopedic residency is getting more competitive, and an extra year to knock out some projects could help make the difference. Looking toward the long-term target of a career in orthopedics, one extra year of training doesn’t seem to be much at all. 

What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
I used to be a marathon runner, completing five full marathons. Medical school has kept me busy and prevented me from running at a high level for the past two years. My year off has allowed me the time to renew my love for running and hopefully run a full marathon by this spring. I also ran a five-person relay with other CORA/MSRFs last December at the BMW Dallas Marathon. 

Anything else you would like to add?
Nothing else.

We’re recruiting Medical Student Research Fellows for 2023! If you are a third-year medical student looking to take a gap year before applying to residency, take advantage of this unique opportunity! Only three positions are available for 2023.

Learn more and apply here on our Careers page.

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite for Children? 
I am currently the center coordinator for the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders. I started with Scottish Rite in 2006 as an assessment specialist, became the diagnostic services coordinator in 2013 and shifted to my current role in 2021. Each step has provided a whole new world of experiences!

What do you do on a daily basis or what sort of duties do you have at work?
My role is an interesting combination of clinical and administrative. I have some form of direct patient care each day, either providing patient learning assessments or conducting clinical consultations with patient families. I support the LWCDLD team with any problems that might need solving. In the context of my role, I have the opportunity to support many projects and presentations, which allows me to build relationships with folks in IT/Empower, Media, Communications, Engineering, Environmental Services, and HR. It’s exciting to meet people in other departments and have the ability to work alongside of them to meet a common goal. And, as with most administrative roles, I attend a lot of meetings!

What was your first job? What path did you take to get here or what led you to Scottish Rite? How long have you worked here?
My father is a Methodist minister. My very first “real” job was working on the daycare center at one of his churches. I knew from a very early age that I would form my career around children!
While in graduate school, I managed a 7-Eleven not far from my university campus. There was a very kind woman, Jeri McClendon, who would stop in almost every day for a Diet Coke and drop off cookies on all major holidays. One day, while visiting, she asked about my background, studies and hopes for the future. I told her I wanted to work with children and my dream job would be evaluating them for learning disorders and associated mental health challenges. Jeri, who was an assessment specialist in the Center for more than 20 years, insisted I apply for an opening. She supported me through the rigorous interview and hiring process and provided my initial training once hired. I firmly believe people are put into our lives to help shape our futures. Mrs. Jeri was definitely one of those for me!

What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
I have been part of the Scottish Rite family for 16 years. While here, there have been many changes. One of the aspects that has remained the same is our mission. We support patients and their families with warmth and kindness. We strive to make challenges understandable and encourage hope while explaining next steps. Working alongside parents to change the trajectory of their child’s life is the most rewarding part of each day.

Tell us something about your job that others might not already know?
I quite literally learn something new every day. Between my interactions with colleagues, patients and families, I pick up a new skill, strategy, fact, concept, leadership technique, stress management tool, diagnosis or best way to write a challenging report at least once daily. Some days provide even more opportunity for growth and really get the neural connectivity flowing!

Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Rome. It was fascinating to take the subway, exit and be standing directly in front of the Colosseum or to walk through a rather modern neighborhood, turn a corner and spot the Pantheon. The architecture, history, culture (and rather reckless moped drivers!) were truly special.

What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
My daughter is a competitive artistic roller skater — think ice skating on wheels. I love to watch her passion for the sport and her teammates, as well as her drive to consistently improve. The athletes show off their gifts in a multitude of events that include both individual and group participation. During meets, they wear fabulous costumes and way too much makeup, which is my daughter’s favorite part. While she has not yet talked me into strapping on skates, I feel like part of the team!

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’m a Tex-Mex girl! I could easily live off of chips and queso, fajitas and chalupas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

What’s one fun fact about yourself?
I love to read! I have two books (one text, one audio) in progress at any given time. I am a fan of a variety of genres and love recommendations.

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite for Children?
I am the security manager for the Frisco campus, and my role is to ensure a safe environment for the staff and visitors. 

What do you do on a daily basis or what sort of duties do you have at work? 
Observe, react, respond, listen, train and fix if I can. I try to be alert to anything out of the ordinary that may be going on inside or outside our facility. I’m always busy making rounds through clinics and departments, checking live and recorded camera footage, listening to staff concerns, making employee badges and assigning proper access clearance and a lot of other little but important things that are semi-top secret.

What was your first job? What path did you take to get here or what led you to Scottish Rite? How long have you worked here?
My first job was a mail clerk for an insurance company. Before coming to Scottish Rite, I was a bank fraud investigator, which allowed me to learn and work alongside the FBI, Secret Service and several other areas of law enforcement. I loved the job, but I had to deal with dishonest individuals and criminals. Coming to Scottish Rite provided an atmosphere better for my heart. I’ll be coming up on my 22nd anniversary this year.

What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
I love the family feel I get from the staff, and I could feel it when I first arrived. Times have changed, but it’s still there! Even the grumpy staff, which only makes it more like a family. Throughout the years I’ve worked alongside all levels of staff, including our trustees. The one common theme is the way we care for the kids and each other.

Tell us something about your job that others might not already know.
I actually get a lot of security and safety improvement ideas from the staff and my officers by just listening to their concerns or asking questions. Some are a bit over the top. I’m a semi-perfectionist, so I’m constantly trying to improve every aspect of security for our facility.

Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
Pebble Beach Golf Course. Two years ago my best friend and I made a pact to play a PGA golf course every year. It was an extremely beautiful course and to know that you are playing the same course that Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus played was amazing. That was last year. This year we played TPC Sawgrass and had the same “WOW” feeling.

What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
Football is always first on my list. I still enjoy playing catch with the kids in the neighborhood. I love watching my Dallas Cowboys, when they are winning, and any Texas college team, but I do lean more toward the UT Longhorns. Golf became my sport because of the individual challenge it provides. Also, I can yell at myself instead of my teammates. I’m kind of competitive. Ok, I’m competitive!

What’s one fun fact about yourself?
For one month I was an actor. The opportunity came up when I was transitioning from banking to Scottish Rite. I was an assistant coach in the movie Any Given Sunday that was filmed at the old Texas Stadium. I was only a glorified extra, but I did get to meet Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Jim Brown, the greatest NFL running back of all time, and several other stars. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime things.

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite for Children? 
I am a Patient Care Technician, and I assist the nursing staff with patient care.
 
What do you do on a daily basis or what sort of duties do you have at work? 
I take vital signs, prepare the surgery beds, run labs, occasionally answer the phones, assist patients with their activities of daily living and support my nursing staff with taking patients to and from procedures.

What was your first job? What path did you take to get here or what led you to Scottish Rite? How long have you worked here?
I worked at a place called James Coney Island in Houston serving food and dressing up like a big hotdog! I have worked at Scottish Rite for 10 years as of July 31. It’s been a true blessing to have Scottish Rite in my life.
 
What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
The feeling of family and that I am making a difference. I love to make special connections with the patients and family members.
 
Tell us something about your job that others might not already know.
My favorite part about my job is that I get to connect with the patients and make them smile and feel normal. I like to take their minds off of what they are going through and make their stay/day brighter.
 
Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
The Aztec ruins in Mexico — it’s amazing to think that they initiated a game similar to basketball and how advanced they were for what is considered a primitive time.
 
What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
UFC mixed martial arts to watch and hunting as a hobby.
 
What’s one fun fact about yourself?
I love to dance.