Khristian Bauer-Rowe, Stanford MD-PhD Student

I was born in Puerto Rico. I grew up in Stamford, Connecticut.

When I was 10, I had a chance to visit Bolivia, which is the country where my dad is from, and I remember getting sick during that visit. In the healthcare system, I witnessed a lot of communities and deep poverty where I had a feeling that they probably just didn't have access to the same medical care that I had received [growing up]. It made me really reflect a lot about the care that I got for my illness.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), when I was 16 years old. I remember how challenging it was, especially coming out of high school, going into college, requiring constant medical care — I don’t think anybody can prepare you for being diagnosed with a chronic illness.

Over time, I learned how to manage my illness holistically, in addition to taking the medications. There were a bunch of lifestyle things that I needed to do, from working on my mental health to diet to exercise. All these intangibles that are really important to health care, but we don't really think about as often, really inspired me to want to work with IBD patients in the future and drove me in the direction of either gastroenterology or colorectal surgery.

My experience with IBD has also inspired my research. During my undergrad, I did a lot of work with intestinal stem cell biology under Omer Yilmaz, PhD. When I came to Stanford, I wanted to continue that work, but looking more at a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease called Crohn's Disease. I worked with Dr. Michael Longaker and Dr. Jeong Hyun on a project looking at the involvement of fibroblasts in the mesentery that promote the formation of scarring in these intestinal structures, which leads to a lot of complications that require surgical interventions.

I can relate to IBD patients’ symptoms. I think in my head about my own experiences and things that I felt or things that helped. I think it makes me a better physician and more empathetic towards my patients, because it helps clue me in on what could be going on. In addition to that, also realizing what a tremendous impact these diseases have on patients. Medicine is now going beyond just simply prescribing a medication or treating the symptoms, but rather a more holistic understanding. Healthcare is intrinsically tied into the recognition of human dignity.

The way I see myself in the future is either as a gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon who also, God willing, is able to run a lab. I realize in many ways that that is a very lofty goal, but I feel in some ways that I’ve been spoiled here at Stanford because it has made me realize that that is possible. I would see myself hopefully as a leader in IBD research, but also as a good physician.

About the author

Catherine Wu is an undergraduate student at Stanford University interested in biology and the humanities. On campus, she enjoys writing for The Stanford Daily and other ways to learn and share stories of members in her community. She hopes to pursue a graduate or medical degree on a pre-med track.