Complex sentence: Thagard resumed his academic studies in 1971, pursuing additional studies in Electrical Engineering, and a degree in medicine; prior to coming to NASA, he was interning in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Split into simpler sentences: Thagard resumed his academic studies in 1971, pursuing additional studies in Electrical Engineering, and a degree in medicine. Before joining NASA, he was interning in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.