Rising Stars Shine: USTARS 2026 Wraps Up Another Successful Summer
The University of Utah School of Medicine Departments of Surgery, Anesthesiology, Otolaryngology, Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics have wrapped up another successful year of the Utah Summer Training Academy for Rising Stars (USTARS) program. Running from May 24 to July 4, 2026, this six-week immersive experience gave medical students interested in academic surgery or anesthesiology unparalleled exposure to clinical practice, research, and professional development.
This year's anesthesiology cohort included two rising stars from outside Utah, each paired with a faculty mentor for a summer of hands-on research:
Miles Selders
Mentor: Dr. Jacob Steenblik
Project: Duloxetine pharmacogenomics in fibromyalgia
Alejandra Vega-Torres
Mentor: Dr. Akiko Okifuji
Project: Ultrasonic neuromodulation of the cingulate cortex for fibromyalgia
A Summer of Firsts
For Miles Selders, the program delivered one unforgettable milestone after another. "My time at USTARS has been truly immeasurable," he said. "From day one, I felt welcomed, valued, and encouraged to learn. Every morning, I was genuinely excited to come to the hospital because I knew I would have the opportunity to learn something new and be surrounded by people who were passionate about teaching."
The standout moment of his summer came early: performing his first intubation. "It made me feel like a superstar and is a moment I'll never forget," he said.
That growing confidence was put to the test during an OB case when the anesthesia plan had to shift from spinal to general anesthesia mid-procedure. "By that point in the summer, I had become familiar enough with the workflow that I was able to immediately jump in and help prepare for the transition," Selders said. "It was incredibly rewarding to realize how much I had learned and to feel like I could meaningfully contribute to the team."
Time spent in the operating room and on the OB anesthesia service left a lasting impression. "Those experiences solidified my excitement for anesthesiology," he said.
Beyond the Clinical Skills
Selders' six weeks covered substantial clinical ground — airway management, mechanical ventilation, anesthetic medications, and the critical role anesthesiologists play in patient care. But it was the people, he said, who made the deepest impact.
"More than the clinical knowledge, I was inspired by the enthusiasm and passion that the anesthesia teams brought to work every day," he said. "One of the most meaningful parts of this experience has been the relationships I built with attendings, residents, CRNAs, researchers, and fellow students. Making so many connections with people in the field I hope to join someday has been incredibly motivating, and I am deeply grateful for the mentorship, friendships, and opportunities this program has given me."
"USTARS has made me even more excited to become a physician and has reinvigorated me for the years of medical school ahead," Selders added. "This is an experience I will carry with me throughout my medical career."
"Watching students like Miles and Alejandra grow over these six weeks is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. They come in curious and usually with no previous experience, and they leave with skills, insight, and having contributed real impact to our team. Programs like USTARS remind us why mentorship matters — we're not just teaching the next generation of anesthesiologists, we're learning from them too."
Looking Ahead
USTARS continues to serve as a launchpad for the next generation of academic surgeons and anesthesiologists, pairing rising medical students with leading faculty across five departments for hands-on clinical exposure and mentored research. For students like Selders and Vega-Torres, the six-week program is proving to be a defining step in their medical careers.