A Johnston Community College sonography student is co-author of a recent article in the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
Mishal Safwan, 20, of Cary penned “Emphysematous Cholecystitis:
A Deadly Twist to a Common Disease” along with her lead instructor Steven Penny. The article is currently online and will appear in the June/July print edition of the peer-reviewed medical journal.
Safwan said Penny encouraged her to take on the professional writing opportunity after she expressed her love of writing during class. “I really credit Mr. Penny for pointing me in the right direction,” she said. “He told me if I found a topic he’d help me with it.”
Safwan got the idea for the article’s topic during her clinical study as a first-year student. After months of research, she put pen to paper for the next year and Penny served as her chief editor. “He’s published three books and 12 articles, and I was just fortunate to work with someone with so much experience,” she said.
Safwan will graduate in May with her associate’s degree in medical sonography. After graduation, she said she hopes to work in ultrasound while also pursuing her bachelor’s degree.
“The ability to write is important in any profession. This was a really fun first step and taught me how to write professionally,” she said. “I hope I can take what I learned and be able to write my own article in the future.”
Penny said Safwan’s article supports the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) which focuses on student writing skills.
“Mishal is an excellent student with an intrinsic drive to gain knowledge,” Penny says. “She is also someone who wants to make an individual, unique contribution to the health care field. We are extremely proud of her accomplishments and hope that through her example, other students at Johnston Community College might strive to go beyond customary scholastic assignments in order to make a difference in their own chosen profession.”
