Students Present Challenging Cases at National Anesthesiology Meeting
Posted on November 4, 2026
Medical students from the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine joined faculty and anesthesiology professionals from across the country at the American Society of Anesthesiologists 2026 Annual Meeting, held Oct. 16-20 in San Diego, California.
The students presented medically challenging cases highlighting the complexities of perioperative care and the importance of clinical decision-making and interdisciplinary collaboration. Gregory Bouska, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, also attended the meeting.
Noel Godang, a fourth-year medical student, presented a case titled “Tale of Two Infarcts: Stroke with Concurrent STEMI.” The case involved a patient who presented with stroke symptoms and was found to have a concurrent ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). His presentation examined the perioperative management considerations for a patient undergoing mechanical thrombectomy.
Fourth-year medical student Abby Castillo co-authored a case presented by Sheila Subbiah, a second-year medical student. The case involved an 82-year-old patient whose orthopedic hardware removal procedure was postponed because of cardiac concerns that required additional evaluation and pacemaker clearance. Following further cardiac assessment and clearance, the patient successfully underwent surgery under general anesthesia.
The case highlighted the challenges of preoperative optimization in medically complex patients and the importance of communication and collaboration among specialties to support safe surgical care.
For Castillo, attending the national meeting provided an opportunity to learn from anesthesiologists, residents and medical students from across the country while sharing the experience with her classmates. One highlight was exploring emerging technologies in anesthesiology, particularly virtual reality simulation and its potential applications in medical education. Castillo said the topic was especially relevant to a project she is involved in at the Whiddon College of Medicine.
The experience also reinforced her appreciation for the collaboration and camaraderie among her classmates.
“One of the most rewarding parts of the experience was being able to share it with my classmates, from seeing our case presented to supporting our classmate Noel as he delivered an excellent presentation of his own,” Castillo said. “It was a great reminder of the sense of community we've built at South and how meaningful it is to celebrate each other's accomplishments.”
