HHS alum Vishal Desai (2005) has accomplished a lot in his life and appreciates HHS for giving him many memorable moments.

Desai graduated from Lehigh University in 2008 with a major in pre-medicine. This May he graduated from Drexel University College of Medicine. His next step is to complete his internal medical residency training at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA for one year. Here, he will learn the basics of medicine. After this he will complete his residency training in radiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia for another 4 years.

Desai is looking forward to sub-specializing in interventional radiology. He is interested in interventional radiology because it is “fairly new and very exciting field.” Interventional radiologists specialize in medical treatments that involve radiology and imaging equipments such as CAT scans and ultrasounds.

Desai is at his “transition point” as he receives his MD. As an internal medicine resident, Desai is taking care of a variety of patients from those who suffer from high blood pressure to heart failure and even autoimmune diseases. He runs back and forth from the ER to the ICU, taking care of these patients. Besides taking care of them, Desai must also work hard to find a diagnosis for his patients. He studies a patient’s MRIs, CAT scans, x-rays, and other files to search for an answer.

Desai said, “It was certainly a tough road to become a doctor, but it is certainly rewarding.” He is able to use everything he learned in high school and college to become a great doctor. The medical field is a “constant learning process” and Desai enjoys learning “something new every day.”  He meets new patients, colleagues, physicians, and friends. Desai’s love for helping others encourages him to work hard and do his best. He also loves his job because, “there’s never a dull moment and having interesting stories to tell at the dinner table is always a nice plus.”

Desai is grateful that the education he received from Hawthorne High School helped prepare him for his future. He described the wonderful times he spent at HHS with “great friends, enthusiastic teachers, and a large variety of extracurricular activities.” He remembers being a freshman at HHS as he received his traditional pass to the “HHS rooftop pool on his first day.” Desai received several AP credits from HHS and he thanks HHS for offering him many beneficial opportunities.