Commencement Profile: Ashley Guest

On Monday, May 6, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix will hold its 14^th Commencement. Led by a pipe and drum corps, the Class of 2024 will process through downtown Phoenix, finishing at the Orpheum Theatre for their official ceremony. The day marks the beginning of the next phase in their journey as physicians. The college profiled a series of graduating students to commemorate the milestone.

Meet Ashley Guest

Ashley Guest grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, and graduated from Gilbert High School in 2011. She completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in neuroscience at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah.

Guest’s interest in medicine began when she started studying neuroscience. As a student worker in a research lab, she realized she enjoyed the scientific method. After graduating from college, she moved to Baltimore, Maryland, for a year to work in a research lab at the National Institutes of Health.

During that period, she did some influential volunteering, most prominently with the Special Olympics. These experiences all led her to matriculate to the MD/PhD program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. She wanted to pursue a career in neurology that afforded her opportunities to work with patients and incorporate research to improve medicine.

Guest’s amazing support system helped her through this journey. Among her supporters, she said her husband Andy has done the most to help her both daily and with big moments where they talk about their life plans.

Guest’s parents raised her to believe that she can accomplish hard things and cheered her on despite not being familiar with her field. Guest’s siblings, in-laws and friends all supported her through her journey.

Guest also credits her amazing mentors for opening doors for her and inspiring her. She specifically lists Scott Steffensen, PhD, from BYU for shaping her early scientific skills; Bradley Greger, PhD, from Arizona State University for being her main research mentor while in the MD/PhD program; and Michael Kruer, MD, from the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and Phoenix Children’s for being an amazing mentor in child neurology and an example of authentic care for others.

Match Day

On Match Day, what was it like discovering where you were headed for residency?

Match Day was wild and wonderful. I actually had a baby one week before Match Day, so I was in the midst of a lot of big life changes. Other than the new baby, who stayed home with my aunt, I had my family with me.

On the drive over, I talked with my husband about how it was crazy to have had so many conversations regarding residency and for all those preparations to boil down to this moment. I was both excited and nervous. What a rush it was opening the envelope! I only scratched off the very corner before realizing where I was going, and then I immediately hugged my husband.

It was also fun being at the same table as my good friend and classmate, Ben Conner, who started the MD/PhD program at the same time with me. We were both ecstatic about our match results, and it was awesome celebrating together after seven years in the program.

What’s Next?

What excites you most about your upcoming residency? Where are you headed?

I am headed to Stanford for residency in child neurology! It was my top choice because the program has so many amazing features. I felt an amazing energy and supportive culture from them during my interview and recruitment second look.

They serve an interesting patient population with many remarkable child neurologists and subspecialists at their institution. There are plentiful research opportunities, including potential projects in deep brain stimulation, which I studied in my PhD. A combination of many factors made Stanford my first pick, and I am excited to join the Stanford community and the field of child neurology.

What inspired you to pursue this specialty?

Child neurology is a cool field. I’ve been interested in the brain and nervous system since the end of high school, and I researched in neuroscience both leading up to and during the MD/PhD program. I cannot get enough of the brain.

On the clinical side of things, I enjoy the diagnostic approach in neurology, and you will find me in the future enjoying the deliberation over the physical exam and localizing the lesion.

At several points along the way, I asked myself whether I would like to go into adult neurology or child neurology and reflected on volunteering experiences and clinical work with children that I loved. I enjoy working with families and seeing how we can treat neurological diseases in their intersection with development.

Some parts of child neurology can be devastating, such as permanent injury. I feel privileged to walk the path with families through vulnerable experiences. There are also parts of child neurology that can be so uplifting to empower a child and family to overcome a neurological challenge and go on to live a healthy life.

The College of Medicine – Phoenix Culture

Looking back, what’s your favorite medical school memory?

What a tough and unfair question! I have so many fond memories of bonding with my classmates during the first two years. One favorite tradition was getting tsoynami (vegan ice cream) at Nami — a restaurant down the street from the medical school — for study breaks. 

I adored anatomy and have many memories of bonding over the things we were studying. It was awesome feeling the support of family and friends when I defended my dissertation. My sister and mom made a sign congratulating me as Dr. Guest for the first time. 

My favorite clinical memory was probably a clinic day in Dr. Michael Kruer's deep brain stimulation (DBS) clinic. I loved the multidisciplinary approach and his focus on improving quality of life for the patients. We were down on mats next to the patients, parents, and physical and occupational therapists while reprogramming the DBS settings, and I loved it the whole time. 

Over my seven years in the program, I have had tremendous personal growth. I married my husband and had two kids. Those three people and their entrance into my life during this chapter will continue to be among my most cherished memories.

Earning a Dual Degree

How do you think earning an MD/PhD will benefit you most in your career as a physician? And what were some of the challenges of taking on that dual degree?

I'm already seeing benefits of the MD/PhD, as my training has helped me understand the research that leads to the way we practice medicine. I think it's important to understand the why and the how of evidence-based medicine. 

It has made me critical of some things we do in medicine, but also lent credibility to other things we do. I will continue to use my research skills in my future to conduct clinical research and strive to improve the lives of patients. 

One of the challenges of the MD/PhD program is the different transition points between training years that emphasize medicine versus research. It can be awkward or isolating to leave and join different classes. The priorities with how you spend your time are different in the different years. 

So, every few months or years you have a redefinition of your schedule and goals, and it can feel like once you finally figure something out, well then, you're changing your focus. Learning to adapt is a physician-scientist skill that you develop outside of the curriculum.