Usha Murugesan, DO

Resident

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Emergency Medicine

Classification:

Resident

• DO, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Hometown: Ellicott City, Maryland

Undergraduate institution: University of Maryland, College Park

Medical school: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Why did you choose WVU? I chose WVU because it checked all the boxes for me when interviewing with multiple EM programs. I was drawn to the fact that it was a well-established residency at a Level 1 trauma center, was an academic training site, prioritized resident wellness, had a robust curriculum with a strong Ultrasound program and a dedicated, newly built Pediatric ED. In addition, I wanted a program that was a drivable distance from home in MD. Most importantly, the people of the program were undeniable. Everyone I met along the interview trail at WVU was incredibly welcoming, authentic, and seemed like my kind of people. I found that Morgantown had everything I was looking for—quaint with still a city feel, access to the outdoors, running trails, and tons of local brews.

Brief bio: I was born in Toronto, Canada, but spent most of my childhood in the suburbs of Ellicott City, Maryland and continued to stay in the area for undergrad at the University of Maryland. I initially became fascinated in EM when I became an ED medical scribe and relished the unpredictability and variety of the department. Before medical school, I spent 4 gap years working within public health research, and project management. During that time, I studied tobacco dependence in low-income areas of DC, lead ongoing projects in Baltimore, MD that examined social determinants of health, and later program planning for c-suite execs of hospital systems. Also during that time, I received my masters in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins. When I later moved to Lewisburg, WV for medical school, I learned to appreciate the calmer pace of rural life that the big cities lacked, and constant surrounding of nature. My current EM interests Pediatrics, Ultrasound, and health equity. When I’m not at the hospital, you can find me running or hiking with my rescue pup, Mando, exploring local craft breweries, meticulously following a recipe in the kitchen, and traveling with my husband.