Surgery Residents Send Care Package to Peers at UMC in Las Vegas

“After the shooting happened in Las Vegas, we were reading the news reports, and I think a lot of us had the same thought” ‘what can I do to help?’” said Dr. Clement Marshall, a general surgery resident at Stanford University. “As residents, we take care of trauma victims, but we have our own patients here; we can’t just drop everything and go help.”

On October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of fans at a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada leaving 58 people dead and more than 500 injured. A majority of those in need of medical attention, were taken to University Medical Center Southern Nevada (UMCSN) which is staffed in part by medical residents from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Marshall turned to Stanford Acute Care Surgery Chief Dr. David A. Spain for advice on how he could do his part.

“We know all the trauma surgeons [at UMCSN] and sent them some pizzas the Monday after the shooting,” said Spain. “But the general surgery residents were also ‘in the trenches’ working right alongside the attending surgeons during all of this, putting in long hours helping take care of the injured. I thought it would be nice for their residents to receive acknowledgement and support from colleagues who understand what they are going through.”

Marshall sent an email to his fellow Stanford Surgery residents shortly thereafter requesting donations to fund a series of gift boxes to send their peers in Las Vegas.

“I checked 10 minutes later, and my inbox was already full,” said Marshall. “People were incredibly generous.”

Marshall’s campaign raised more than $1200.

“[The other residents and I] put ourselves in their shoes and thought of what we would want if we were on a long busy shift,” said Marshall.

Marshall purchased several boxes from Amazon full of energy drinks, Cliff Bars, bottles of water, snacks, and other items he thought would make the lives of the UMCSN residents a little bit easier.

"It gives me tremendous pride to see our residents come together to support their fellow residents who responded to the horrible trauma in Las Vegas,” said Department of Surgery Chair Dr. Mary Hawn. “I am sure this thoughtful intention will last long after the Red Bull is gone!"