About Swarup

Hometown:
Howell, NJ

University Partner:
Columbia University

Degree:
Biochemistry

Grant Partner:
Hospital for Special Surgery

Senior Mentor:
Dr. David Altchek, Attending Orthopedic Surgeon

"Presenting my research was definitely the most exciting period during the summer. Not only did I receive congratulations from all the attending surgeons, fellows, and residents, but also felt like a part of the HSS community. While most college internships are in finance or other fields, Steamboat not only offers an internship for premedical students, but gives them tremendous clinical exposure, a rarity in premed experiences. I look forward to assisting Steamboat in choosing future scholars for this priceless summer experience."

Scholar Background

In pursuit of academic excellence and personal growth, Swarup has explored a wide array of opportunities at Columbia University and beyond. A high school valedictorian, Swarup has been drawn to both clinical medicine and biomedical research. His structural biology research at Columbia University resulted in the discovery of the structure of a protein complex in Vibrio cholerae that facilitates intestinal colonization by this disease-causing bacterium. Swarup was a co-first author of the subsequent EMBO Journal publication and was later selected as a 2008 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. He has also served as an Emergency Medical Technician for the past five years, and currently serves as the Operations Officer of Columbia University Emergency Medical Services. Swarup utilized his training as an AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) instructor to conduct BLS training programs for healthcare professionals and the general public in Bangalore, India. He was recognized for this initiative as a 2007 Goldman Sachs Global Leader. In the field of the arts, Swarup has pursued his passion for Indian classical music as a practitioner of solo harmonium.

Internship Highlight

Swarup had the unique opportunity of shadowing Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). In clinical consultations, Swarup absorbed a vast amount of knowledge about common diagnoses in sports medicine, various physical exams, and how to interpret MRIs of the shoulder, knee, and elbow. In conversations with Dr. Altchek, Swarup was able to gain insight into the challenges facing medical practice from a physician’s perspective. He also had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Bernard Rawlins, a renowned spinal surgeon, which trained him to identify spinal injuries on X-rays and MRIs while expanding his understanding of the different fields within orthopedics. In addition to shadowing opportunities, Swarup was able to grasp essential clinical research skills by conducting an original research study on the concomitant elbow injury of a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and flexor-pronator tendon in baseball players. He presented the results of this study to the Sports Medicine Service at HSS and is working towards submitting these findings for publication.