The rain didn't stop the sounds of hammers and saws as a mix of medical students from SIGA (Student Interest Group in Anesthesiology) and faculty members from the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine partnered with Habitat for Humanity on Oct. 26 to help a family in need. 

Victoria Elison, MS, Education program manager for the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, encouraged SIGA students, anesthesiology residents, and faculty to volunteer for a day of giving to Habitat for Humanity, the global nonprofit that constructs and provides affordable housing for families across the country. 

Medical student Shan Gulamani, this year’s SIGA coordinator, said he was happy to have a chance to work on a Habitat house. "It was nice to see everyone working together and helping someone get important work done," Gulamani said. "I often find doing hands-on projects with fellow peers not only rewarding, but also engaging and entertaining." 

Habitat for Humanity not only offers a space to help others, but a way to get to know the people you’re working alongside. Medical student Brittany Hatter said she enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her peers, as well as anesthesiology faculty and staff members who are involved in an area of medicine that she is interested in learning more about. But one of the reasons she chose to volunteer was to step out of her comfort zone.

“I enjoyed working as a team, and I learned so much from the individuals that were present,” Hatter said. “This was my first time painting, and I learned all about using a caulking gun. It was also nice to meet the individual who was moving into the home.”

“’Giving is a better way to finding happiness' — I read this somewhere and I decided that I needed to give my time rather than making a donation for a cause,” said Jyoti Dangle, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. 

For Dangle, the best part of the experience was the sense of accomplishment she felt doing seemingly small tasks such as painting a door or cleaning a window. “It made me realize all the hard work that goes into making a beautiful and safe home” she said. 

The collaborative environment of a Habitat house is a good fit for future anesthesiologists. The focus of SIGA is to provide access to and information about the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine to UAB medical students, and expanding that mission by helping the community is at the forefront of the program’s agenda. 

This was the first Habitat Day for SIGA. Future events include a panel dinner with anesthesiologists from different subspecialties and an ECHO workshop, said Elison. “I would love to have the Habitat Day be an annual event and that is certainly the plan.” 

Thank you to all who volunteered: 

Faculty

Susan Black, M.D.

Mark Mandabach, M.D.

Tim Ness, M.D.

Saurabh Aggarwal, M.D., Ph.D.

Michelle Tubinis, M.D.

Jyoti Dangle, M.D.

Saurabh Aggarwal, M.D., Ph.D.

Fellow 

Zach Winkler, M.D.

Residents

Caroline Phillips, M.D.

Annalese Neuenschwander, M.D.

Matt Jensen, M.D.

Medical Students

Andrew NeSmith (SIGA co-leader)

Shan Gulamani (SIGA co-leader)

Brittany Hatter

Grant Smith

John Ahn

Tinsley Roberson