Dr. Leigh Sundem a possible victim of Dr. Christopher Duntsch via residency

Dr. Leigh Sundem, a phenomenal physician died by suicide. Accomplished & super-smart with a 4.0 GPA, even aced the MCAT, yet was unmatched to residency 3 times . . . so she scrambled twice into temporary spots (but couldn’t get anything the third time). Even though she had 16 academic awards, 6 professional leadership positions, 5 research projects, 8 scientific publications, 9 scientific presentations, 10 years of teaching experience

Georgia Southern University senior Leigh Sundem is a chemistry major with a 4.0 GPA. She has won numerous awards in organic chemistry research at GSU, and last fall she scored higher than 99 percent of the nation’s students who took the Medical College Admissions Test.
Sundem also is a recovering heroin addict.
“At 18, I was sentenced to seven years in prison for robbery and assault,” she said. “Paroled at 21, I continued my alcohol and drug use until an understanding judge gave me the choice of going back to prison or entering long-term treatment.”
After completing 19 months of treatment, Sundem sought out the assistance of the Center for Addiction Recovery at Georgia Southern. With the Center’s help, she was able to enroll at GSU, where she said she found a place to belong.

On April 14th, 2020, our dear friend Leigh Sundem took her own life when she succumbed to the pain of falling short of her dreams which she

On April 14th, 2020, our dear friend Leigh Sundem took her own life when she succumbed to the pain of falling short of her dreams which she worked tirelessly for, and deserved on her merits alone. Everyone who knew this ambitious woman who overcame countless obstacles has been left with overwhelming grief and confusion.

Leigh’s struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction began in middle school when she started drinking to escape her feelings of depression and anxiety. It progressed quickly, and in a few short years, she experienced swift consequences for her regular drug use when she spent her 16th birthday in a juvenile detention facility. Over the next few years, Leigh was in and out of jail while continuing to battle her addiction. This portion of her story is best told in her own words, which can be heard (https://www.c-span.org/person/?leighsundem) when she fearlessly advocated for others in recovery in front of Congress ten years ago.

In 2007 while on parole, she rear-ended a Georgia State Patrol officer at a red light. She was given a choice to complete her 7-year prison sentence or to enter a long-term treatment facility. This moment became the catalyst for her journey to recovery. She chose to go to Statesboro, Georgia where she spent over two years in an intensive addiction treatment program. While working at minimum-wage food service jobs to help pay for treatment, she began to realize her incredible potential and she began to dream. She dreamt of ways that she could give back to people in need. Early in recovery, she decided to pursue a medical degree and help as many people as possible along the way. With her goal in mind, she became dedicated to overcoming and rectifying her mistakes as a teen and young adult.

When it came time to match with a residency, Leigh had done everything possible to reach her dream. She had always been open and honest about her journey to recovery, she exemplified how her past was an asset and not a liability, and she participated in a voluntary monitoring program for 12 years to prove that she was serious about her recovery. However, many programs were unwilling to admit anyone with a criminal record involving drugs and alcohol. Leigh was devastated when she failed to match into any orthopedic surgery programs. Never complacent, she quickly found a surgical preliminary position at Rutgers University and began working towards securing a residency in Emergency Medicine the next year.

When the second year of matching came, Leigh again felt confident that she would match with a program. Her time at Rutgers had resulted in further accomplishments and accolades. She now garnered new skills, exceptional recommendations, and a growing network of peers and professionals willing to advocate for her. During this time she was also asked to write about her years of volunteering and her persistent work with those struggling with substance-use disorders. While she seemed like an obvious asset for most programs combating the opioid epidemic, she did not match into any Emergency Medicine programs.

Over the next year, Leigh tried to remain optimistic, but began expressing regret at having missed out on so many milestones her friends were experiencing (careers, marriages, babies). She found herself feeling increasingly isolated as she struggled to maintain her closest relationships due to her demanding schedule. And yet she still supported her friends as much as she could. When she showed up, she brought joy and encouragement. She also continued to share her story of recovery whenever speaking engagements allowed. As she tried to balance her career, family and friends, and being a resource for others in need, she was also planning out her next move.

In March of 2020, after again failing to match for the third year into a residency program, she was completely devastated. In Leigh’s eyes, she would never secure a job in medicine at the level she aspired. After dedicating her life to recovery from addiction and to the field of medicine, this last rejection left her hopeless.

Kirby wrote a detailed complaint to the Texas Medical Board, calling Duntsch a "sociopath" who was "a clear and present danger to the citizens of Texas."[19][4] Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013.

The Texas Medical Board revoked Duntsch's license on December 6, 2013.

Henderson and Kirby feared that Duntsch could move elsewhere and still theoretically get a medical license. Convinced that he was a clear and present danger to the public, they urged the Dallas County district attorney's office to pursue criminal charge

On February 20, 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison.[35][36] On December 11, 2018, the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed Duntsch's conviction by a 2–1 split decision

All four hospitals that employed Duntsch have ongoing civil cases against them.[35]

The conviction of Duntsch was one of the first instances where a doctor was imprisoned for malpractice, and has been called a precedent-setting case.[40] The office of the district attorney prosecuting the case called it "a historic case with respect to prosecuting a doctor who had done wrong during surgery."[35]

Kirby wrote a detailed complaint to the Texas Medical Board, calling Duntsch a "sociopath" who was "a clear and present danger to the citizens of Texas."[19][4] Under heavy lobbying from Kirby and Henderson, the Texas Medical Board suspended Duntsch's license on June 26, 2013.

In March of 2020, after again failing to match for the third year into a residency program, she was completely devastated. In Leigh’s eyes, she would never secure a job in medicine at the level she aspired. After dedicating her life to recovery from addiction and to the field of medicine, this last rejection left her hopeless

On April 14th, 2020, our dear friend Leigh Sundem took her own life