A 27-year-old medical student from New Jersey was learning to use an ultrasound machine, only to discover her own cancer. 

Sally Rohan, a first-year student on her path to becoming an MD, said she was the first in her class to volunteer to have her thyroid scanned as part of a lesson. It’s then that she found out she had Stage 1 cancer. 

In an interview with Good Morning America, Rohan said the class was watching as she came to the realization something was wrong with her thyroid, which looked bumpy. The instructor told her the lump on her thyroid was a “nodule,” but advised her to capture the ultrasound image and take it to a doctor for future evaluation.

However, due to a gap in medical insurance, it was nearly a full year before she had another ultrasound to confirm the cancer diagnosis.

She’s sharing her story on social media, where she’s gained a large following. Rohan hopes her experience navigating the healthcare system will make her a better doctor. 

Good Morning America has a video feature with the full story. Find it at the link below.