Who or what has inspired you while at VCOM?
All the people within the SWAG视频Louisiana family have inspired me during my time here. 聽The camaraderie of the faculty and students on campus has been a pleasure to be a part of. 聽The diversity of cultures and backgrounds of the faculty and staff and seeing how everyone is at different points in their life journey has been energizing. 聽This experience helps to keep me motivated towards my goal of fulfilling VCOM鈥檚 mission and making impacts within the community I practice as a future physician. Dr. John Lipka, a fellow Louisiana native and rural physician, has inspired me with his devotion to leaving a legacy of educating future physicians. 聽The time and effort he dedicates to training future physicians and giving clinical and professional career advice is an excellent example of VCOM鈥檚 mission. 聽He is always willing to go above and beyond to help students become better future physicians.
How has the SWAG视频mission inspired you as a medical student?
The SWAG视频mission has inspired me as a medical student by preparing me for my career as a future physician in a multitude of ways. 聽The Preventative Medicine class includes a community engagement project which inspires medical students to become involved in the local community. 聽This project matches VCOM鈥檚 mission of being community-focused physicians in our future practices. 聽SWAG视频includes community physicians as guest lecturers who impart the wisdom they have gained in their practice in these local rural communities. 聽This piece of our curriculum inspires me as a medical student to become an integral and influential part of the healthcare mechanism in the local community in which I practice.
Who or what inspired you to study medicine?
I was initially inspired by the field of medicine through my life-changing near-death experience with viral meningitis at the age of 13. 聽I witnessed first-hand the unique role a physician along with the entire healthcare team plays in saving and shaping lives. 聽I coupled this experience with my observations of our own local family physician throughout my upbringing. 聽Witnessing how integral a family physician is to a small community and the many roles they play inspired me to pursue a career as a physician. 聽The empathy and professionalism displayed by my family physician provided me with a great example of what we as future physicians should strive to become and uphold.
Why did you choose VCOM?
I chose SWAG视频specifically due to its mission of improving healthcare within rural areas. 聽The Louisiana campus of SWAG视频is located in Monroe, LA near my rural hometown of Bastrop, LA. 聽It has been a privilege to be able to pursue my medical education within the community I grew up in and also be able to give back to the community which has given me so much. 聽SWAG视频has an impeccable reputation for producing professional and highly motivated physicians and it was a big reason I was excited to choose SWAG视频as my medical school and I would make the same choice today.
What do you enjoy most about living in the area around your campus?
The area around the Monroe campus is home so it has been a pleasure coming back home to pursue my medical education and be a part of this community again. 聽I personally enjoy the amount of locally owned food and entertainment options available within the Monroe area. 聽There are also many locally owned coffee shops and eateries which make great alternative places to study. The Monroe area also has abundant outdoor recreational opportunities.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My free time is often occupied by spending time at the gym and going on walks in the local community. 聽I am also able to enjoy the abundant outdoor recreational opportunities within the Monroe area in the form of various types of hunting and fishing. 聽The Monroe area has the Ouachita River running through the twin cities along with abundant lakes and ponds in the area for fishing and recreation. 聽The SWAG视频campus sits on Bayou Desiard which is a great place for fishing or exploring the bayou in a kayak. 聽There are kayaks available on campus to take out on the bayou and explore the beauty of an ancient waterway. 聽
Are you interested in a particular practice or specialty once you graduate? What has inspired your interest in this specialty?
I came to medical school with an open mind without having my heart set on a particular specialty within medicine. 聽Internal medicine and Emergency medicine are my two top interests at the moment. 聽Internal medicine is intriguing to me because I enjoy many different areas of medicine. 聽As an internal medicine physician, you see many different types of patients often needing complex levels of care. 聽Internal medicine physicians are tasked with coordinating care with a multitude of different medical specialists. 聽Internal medicine physicians can work in many different settings of medicine including ICU, wards, outpatient clinics, and emergency departments in certain facilities. 聽Emergency medicine intrigues me because I enjoy the adrenaline of being on the front lines of hospital-based medicine. 聽Emergency medicine physicians are the first physicians to see patients when they come to the hospital with any number of ailments or acute trauma. 聽What attracts me to both Internal medicine and Emergency medicine is the need to have a very broad base of medical knowledge in order to apply it to patients with many different types of ailments and medical needs.