Over the past years, I have come to notice as a first-hand witness the shortage of physicians here in southwest Virginia. Be as that may, I find solace in knowing that there are medical schools, like VCOM, that make it a priority in their mission statement to train many students from the Appalachian region and other underserved areas throughout the nation in hopes that they one day return to their home and reduce local shortages. This inspires me to continue working hard and doing my absolute best so that I may one day work as a physician in the area and do my part in healing this area that I consider home.
Who or what has inspired you while at VCOM?
To be frank, starting medical school in the middle of a global pandemic has not been ideal; in fact, it has been rough. Despite this, I have managed to find light in one of the darkest times in modern history while here at VCOM. There have been many instances that have inspired me from my teachers. From a very mindful, caring email from Dr. Mahaney to the kind, loving words of encouragement and fortitude from Dr. Prater, these small instances that might not seem like much to others have come to mean the world to me. Certainly, without a doubt, I have also found inspiration in my fellow classmates. One of the biggest deciding factors of choosing VCOM stemmed from the fact that prior students have often affirmed that the class body always has a very “family” feel to it, and after just a few months, despite having to be socially distanced, I can fully attest to this. I have met some of the most poised, motivated, charitable, and altruistic people of my life while here at VCOM. I find inspiration from them daily as we all learn, struggle, and grow together through these difficult times.
How has the VCOM mission-inspired you as a medical student?
When I was younger, my father was still in the navy, so my family and I often moved around. Because of this, I never truly had a place I considered “home.” This ultimately changed when we moved and settled down in a small town in southwest Virginia named Pearisburg. Growing up here was not always easy, but that being said, I have come to consider southwest Virginia a place dear to my heart; my first, true home. Over the past years, I have come to notice as a first-hand witness the shortage of physicians here in southwest Virginia. Be as that may, I find solace in knowing that there are medical schools, like VCOM, that make it a priority in their mission statement to train many students from the Appalachian region and other underserved areas throughout the nation in hopes that they one day return to their home and reduce local shortages. This inspires me to continue working hard and doing my absolute best so that I may one day work as a physician in the area and do my part in healing this area that I consider home.
Who or what inspired you to study medicine?
To be honest, medicine was not my first choice of career; the first two years of my undergraduate career were in the field of engineering. I had decided that I wanted to be an engineer because I love to figure out the root of problems and then fix them. That being said, at this point in my life, I found myself unmotivated to continue in this field; it was not that the classes were too challenging, I just knew in my heart that I would not be able to do this for the rest of my life. I wanted something that was more people-oriented; I wanted to help and serve people in a direct way rather than in an indirect way with engineering. Around this same time, one of my dearest friends had a very close aunt diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and I had no idea how to react to this news. This mostly stemmed from the fact that I had no idea how cancer worked. Having an engineering “systematic” mindset, I wanted to find out how cancer “worked” so I could at least know the mechanics behind the problem that my friend’s aunt was dealing with. Whenever I was learning about the body and various mechanisms that fall in place to cause cancer, I truly felt motivated again; I felt like I was an “engineer of the body”; in other words, a physician. In these moments, I look back to where I decided that medicine was the right field for me.
Why did you choose VCOM?
Growing up in southwest Virginia and going to Virginia Tech for my undergraduate career, I had learned a great deal about VCOM before going here. That being said, I was not fully sold on going to VCOM until I began working as a medical scribe in the emergency department of LewisGale Hospital Montgomery in Blacksburg. I learned everything about medicine from working along-side these amazing emergency physicians. However, I noticed that some of the best were VCOM alumni. Dr. Brian Ekey, hands-down, has the best patient-physician interaction skills that I have ever witnessed; no one can control an emergency department with the poise and grace as well as Dr. Laura Harvey; Dr. Christopher Smith is, without a doubt in my mind, the most passionate emergency department physician that I have ever met. Based on working with them and knowing how wonderful and skilled they are as physicians, I knew that VCOM was the place that I wanted to learn medicine. If I only become half as good as they are, I will still have an amazing career.
What do you enjoy most about living in the area around your campus?
Living in the area for most of my life, what I really love about the area is how welcoming the people are. Some call it “southern hospitality,” but I honestly believe people here are simply decent human beings; everyone here is very kind and warm to each other. I also love the beauty of the nature surrounding Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and the New River Valley. From the quiet, misty mountain mornings to the dark, starry skies, I love this area and will always call it home.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love enjoying the great outdoors; the local hikes around the area are amazing. For example, McAfee’s knob, on the Appalachian trail, has one of the best scenic overlooks of the area. Closer to my home in Giles County, there is a beautiful 69-foot waterfall named the Cascades that is absolutely breathtaking. However, other than hiking, my other hobbies include photography, reading, cooking, and working out. All of that said, I have found that finding free time in medical school can be very difficult. Therefore, whenever I find free time, most of it is spent on the things that truly matter; family, friends, and my two amazing Australian shepherds: Chloe and Cyrus.
Are you interested in a particular practice or specialty once you graduate? What has inspired your interest in this specialty?
Having worked as an emergency department medical scribe for about three years before coming to VCOM, I would love to return to the emergency department as a physician. I have many fond memories in the emergency department; many are stressful, many are sorrowful. However, most are wonderful. Despite the rough, hectic times, I learned that the emergency department works together as a team and grows as a family. We picked each other up when we were down and carried each other when times were rough; we did not let each other fall into despair. This is what inspires me to go into emergency medicine: it is simply where I know I belong.