O’Connell C. Penrose, MD
Name
O’Connell C. Penrose, MD
Residency Program
Transitional Year
Program Year
PGY-1
Medical School
Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
Home
Charleston, SC
About
Where are you from and where did you go to medical school?
I am from Charleston, South Carolina. I studied bioengineering and religion at Clemson University, and I went to medical school at The Medical University of South Carolina.
You were among several veterans honored last month on Veterans Day; do you feel that the time you served has helped prepare you for residency or led you to practice medicine?
At 14 years old, my paternal grandfather forged his birth certificate and joined the Navy so he could support his seven younger siblings during the Great Depression and Second World War. My maternal grandfather (so the family legend goes) was a cardiologist in the 1960s from Emory who was the first doctor to recognize active ventricular fibrillation on an EKG and convert the patient back to sinus rhythm using a defibrillator. Looking back, both of my grandfathers had a tremendous impact on me becoming a United States airman and doctor.
Can you share more about Transitional Year and how you decided to do this track?
Pursuing a Transitional Year Residency was a choice made with my wife. To finish her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, she needed to stay in Georgia for one more year. Given the Air Force was looking to give me active-duty orders outside of Georgia, we were able to stay together by having me pursue Transitional Year. However, we have grown to enjoy the faculty, culture and location of NGHS so much that we hope to stay here next year in the Family Medicine Residency.
How do you maintain wellness here in residency?
Chopping firewood, vegetables and most importantly, spending every evening with my wife.
You have reached out to play in the soccer league with your co-residents. How did you learn about it and have you been enjoying it?
I grew up playing soccer and missed the sport. When I heard there was a soccer league at NGHS, I had to reach out to figure out when and where!