Birthplace: Jackson, Mississippi
Hometown: Greenville, Mississippi
Internship: IM Prelim at Pennsylvania Hospital
Professional/Research Interests: Breast imaging, quality, education
Hobbies and Interests: Growing rare (and common) plants, showing orchids, uranium glass, DIY everything, and giving away food, flowers, and seeds
An interesting fact about you: Mistaken for dead twice, once in Kentucky and once in Kazakhstan
About Dr. Santucci
Sarah grew up in the Mississippi Delta and moved to the Northeast for college. She majored in molecular biology at Princeton, completing a thesis on transcription factor regulation of gene expression. She decided to pivot her skills to medicine and started medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. There, she found her love for radiology, conducting research on venous catheter utilization and developing pandemic-friendly virtual diagnostic and interventional radiology curricula for medical students. In her intern year at Pennsylvania Hospital, she served on the IM Residency Steering Committee, where her projects included streamlining care handoffs and increasing venous access team availability.
In the Penn radiology residency, Sarah serves as a current chief resident (2024-2025). She is also co-chair of the Radiology Wellness Committee, organizing social events for residents, fellows, and attendings, which have included after work happy hours, a terrarium workshop, and a pumpkin-carving contest. During her R2 year, Sarah was a “RadCare” leader, coordinating teaching and case review sessions presented by radiology residents for clinical teams. Since her R1 year, she has lectured and moderated case presentations for the medical school’s introductory radiology course. In her R4 year, she will be one of the embedded Penn breast imaging fellows.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys growing plants to share with her friends. She exhibits her plants annually in the Philadelphia Flower and participates in other shows and educational presentations as an individual and as a representative of the Mid-Atlantic Carnivorous Plant Society.