Advancing the Future of Medicine
From the role of polycytosine-binding proteins in the development of melanoma to rare ectopic pregnancy care and to the primary prevention of stroke and cardiovascular disease in rural South Carolina, medical research gives future physicians a foundation for patient care. The 21st annual South Carolina Medical Association (SCMA) Resident, Fellow, & Medical Student Poster presentations were held on April 25 during the SCMA Annual Meeting at the Charleston Marriott. The annual competition highlights clinical and scientific work across the state, providing a forum to present case reports, quality improvement projects and research while engaging judges and peers.
Dr. Kathryn Potter, MD, chair of the SCMA Young Physician Section, oversaw this year’s competition.
“Our annual poster competition gives our medical students across the state an opportunity to highlight important research and interesting patient cases. It also is an avenue for the students to get involvedin the SCMA early in their careers,” said Potter, a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center in Aiken. “My hope would be that their early interest and participation will lead to lifelong advocacy amongst our future physicians.”
“The judges were blown away by the content of the posters as well as the presentations by the students,” Dr. Potter said, adding that participants were well prepared to explain the significance of their cases or research.
With mentorship and collaboration at the heart of their success, the following were the three winners in the 2026 poster presentation.
FIRST PLACE — Diti Patel
Diti Patel is a third-year medical student at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Spartanburg. She graduated from the University of South Florida in 2023 with a bachelor of science in biomedical sciences and has a strong passion for dermatology.
Topic: Association of polycytosine-binding proteins with melanoma.
Patel’s Comments: Melanoma represents a small share of skin cancers but causes a disproportionate number of skin cancer deaths. I studied it because it is an aggressive disease that can behave differently than many cancers. My research examined how polycytosine-binding proteins may interact with melanoma-associated genes NRAS and BRAF, whose roles in melanoma are well known but whose relationship to these binding proteins and UV-induced DNA damage is not fully characterized. I found that polycytosine-rich sequences near NRAS and BRAF can form specific DNA structures and interact with hnRNP K and PCBP1. These findings suggest the proteins may help maintain genome integrity and protect against UV-induced DNA damage, contributing to better understanding of melanoma development and higher-risk identification, biomarkers, personalized screening and treatment strategies. I had the opportunity to conduct this research under the mentorship of Dr. Mohanty, whose guidance was invaluable throughout the project.
Judges’ Comments: The study was an impressive VCOM science research project assessing the potential role of polycytosine-binding proteins in the development of melanoma. The judges also noted the presentation’s high impact on future patient care options.
SECOND PLACE — Elena Gaston
Elena Gaston is an OMS III at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, class of 2027. She graduated from Erskine College in 2023 with a bachelor ofscience and double major in chemistry and biology.
Topic: A rare case of contralateral sequential tubal pregnancies.
Gaston’s comments: I encountered an ectopic pregnancy during OB-GYN rotation at MUSC Orangeburg. What first appeared as a routine case evolved into a rare contralateral sequential tubal pregnancy. My preceptor, Dr. Shawnequa Brown, noted how unusual it was, leading me to help write the case report. Bilateral ectopic pregnancies are extremely rare but can cause serious complications and maternal morbidity. Our patient had a right tubal ectopic pregnancy followed by a left tubal ectopic diagnosed five days later, and was treated with right salpingectomy, then methotrexate, preserving fertility. This case underscores the need to maintain a broad differential diagnosis and perform thorough evaluations, even when the initial diagnosis appears straightforward. It also addresses a gap in the literature: most reported bilateral tubal pregnancies are managed by removing both fallopian tubes, while limited evidence exists on sequential tubal pregnancies identified only after initial imaging, testing and surgery.
Judges’ Comments: An interesting clinical case involving contralateral sequential tubal pregnancies. The judges were impressed by the presentation of this case and the knowledge gained from the presenter.
THIRD PLACE — Alicia Sikora, MD
Dr. Alicia Sikora is a chief resident for the McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency Program in Cheraw. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in 2021 and her Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the University of New Mexico in 2017.
Topic: Tightening the (stroke) belt in rural South Carolina: local efforts to increase primary prevention of atherosclerotic (ascvd) risk through resident physician education of therapy guidelines.
Dr. Sikora’s Comments: Heart attack prevention is personal: My father, both grandfathers, and father-in-law have had heart attacks, and I practice primary care in a county with one of South Carolina’s highest mortality rates from stroke and heart attack. This project focused on increasing primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD, through resident education and treatment improvement. Our clinic is strong at recognizing statin indications after an event, aiming to lower cholesterol to prevent another event. The gap is identifying at-risk patients before that first event, ensuring guideline-based care, and patient education about current and future health risks. For me, prevention is the foundation of Family Medicine.
Judges’ Comments: A quality improvement project aimed at increasing primary prevention of stroke and cardiovascular disease through resident education on therapy guidelines. The research succeeded at thinking about interventions to decrease atherosclerotic disease before the patient has an event.
