My teaching philosophy expands upon the “see one, do one, teach one” idea. In the beginning stages of learning, the resident is best served by listening and observing. For example, I will explain a patient’s diagnostic workup or demonstrate a surgical technique. As the resident develops, he or she is expected to be able to answer theoretical questions and also demonstrate surgical skills under direct guidance. In the final stages of his or her formal surgical education, the resident will ask advanced theoretical questions and also be able to perform aspects of an operation independently. This is the stage in which the senior resident is able to teach junior residents and medical students.

My research philosophy is to first focus on an area of personal interest in which there are still unanswered questions. Then, a research question that can reasonably be expected to be answered in light of one’s resources should be developed. This is followed by a thorough literature review, development of the methodology, discussion of the project with mentors, and recruitment of a team that will assist in completing the project.

Irina Malajovich, PhD, joined MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in 2019 after completing a certificate program and a physics residency at the University of Pennsylvania. Before becoming a medical physicist, Irina was a principal investigator at DuPont doing research on printable flexible transistor arrays and solar cells. Irina received her PhD in condensed matter physics from UC Santa Barbara, where she used lasers to reveal how electron spins move within semiconductor structures. Irina's current focus includes commissioning of an MR Linac and resident education.