Hilary Gallin ’05, MD/MBA visits ISRP Students

The Independent Science Research Program was honored to virtually host alum Dr. Hilary [Cohen] Gallin ’05 on December 16, 2021.

During her visit, Dr. Gallin described her current project creating her FastLine device to assist anesthesiologists performing a central line procedure that reduces the number of complications associated with the procedure. Students were captivated by her process of identifying the main problems with the traditional procedure, such as having too many parts and sharp points, poor ergonomics, and time-consuming safety checks in situations that require expediency. One student reflected that “it was cool and impressive to see that she made an invention to solve a problem in this field.” We were also excited to learn that they have filed for a patent and that the device will soon be tested in the field. 

During her visit, Dr. Gallin also described her non-linear path from Hackley to completing her residency at Mass General Hospital, which included time on Wall Street and completing her MBA from Harvard concurrently with her MD at Washington University! As one student put it, “I was star struck” by Dr. Gallin, while another person called Dr. Gallin, “my idol.” Students were inspired by her career path and commented that they “found her absolutely (for a lack of a better word) insane to be able to do all that. The most interesting thing she said was the fact that Hackley was the busiest she had ever been and that she has more free time as a full-blown doctor.” Another student remarked that Dr. Gallin’s presentation “taught me more about how navigating one's interests is more important than sticking to a concrete plan because in the end, it could lead to you combining your passions to make a deeper impact.”

We wish Dr. Gallin the best of luck on her FastLine product and look forward to hearing about its success in the future.

All alumni and parents with present or past experiences in scientific research have a standing invitation to visit the Independent Science Research Program. Our future scientists love hearing your stories, and these talks are formative to their careers. If you are interested, please reach out to Dr. Andrew Ying.
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