"I want to carry enough humility to say, 'I don’t know,' and the ability to communicate what I do know in terms that others will understand."
Hometown: Rochester, MI
Undergraduate experience: Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience
What inspired you to pursue a healthcare career?
I dealt with many injuries playing sports as a kid. I loved how my physicians not only treated my condition, but also helped me to understand my own experience. After a football teammate died by suicide, my general interest in medicine grew. I wished someone supported my teammate’s mental health the same way my physicians did for my physical health.
How did your background and history factor into your career choice?
I knew I wanted to go into osteopathic medicine after I suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a collision with a drunk driver. Unlike my sports injuries, where surgery or physical therapy helped my condition, healing my TBI especially required me to sleep. Every morning when I woke up, I was amazed by one of the core tenets of osteopathic medicine, which is the body’s capacity for self-regulation.
Why did you decide to attend Midwestern University?
My girlfriend and I moved from Michigan to Arizona to learn medicine through a One Health lens, which is the idea that human, animal, and environmental health are intertwined. With me as a human medical student and my girlfriend as a veterinary medical student, it was easy for us to fall in love with this school.
What about a Midwestern University education do you want to carry forward in your career?
I want to listen to my patients and empathize with conditions I may never experience. I want to educate patients and the general population on healthy behaviors that promote well-being and prevent disease. I want to carry enough humility to say, “I don’t know,” and the ability to communicate what I do know in terms that others will understand.
