Med student learns she has cancer after in-class ultrasound

LAS VEGAS – Erica Stiles was born to help others. The daughter of an optometrist, she always knew the medical field was for her.

"I saw his passion for medicine and always learning new things, always watching these new videos of techniques," she says.

So, when her class at Touro University began practicing ultrasounds, Erica volunteered to have her thyroid examined. The professor immediately noticed a problem.

"I thought he was joking, didn't think he was serious. He was like, 'You do have a thyroid nodule?'" Stiles recalls. "But 95% are benign, so it's most likely nothing, but he encouraged me to get it checked out just to be sure."

It turns out Erica had cancer. Large nodules were growing on both sides of her thyroid.

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