Professional Summary
Personal Statement
I can still remember the horrified look on my Stepmother’s face; she discovered my Dad and me dissecting a fetal goat on her antique dining room table. Several of the goats on our farm were having late-term miscarriages that year; I wanted to know why. As he always did when I had an oddball question, my Dad told me to do some digging, figure it out myself. Like any young scientist would do, I decided the only way to solve this conundrum was to dissect a specimen for science. Accompanied by an anatomical guide on the family computer, a specimen from our fields, and a large cookie sheet to work on, I set about an autopsy. Excitedly, I puzzled through the dissection identifying anatomical structures, comparing them with the guide, striving to identify any differences that could be found. Eventually, my Dad stumbled upon me with the partially dismembered fetal goat on the dining room table; after some scolding, he decided to join me. By the end of the afternoon, we had a diagnosis; the goat had a massive ventricular septal defect. Cleaning up from the dissection, I realized the satisfaction of successfully diagnosing the problem. My main goal during medical school was to find a specialty that evoked that same sense of excitement and satisfaction; I discovered that in Internal Medicine.
Why I Chose Cincinnati
I chose Cincinnati for two reasons, first the people, and second the unique aspects of the program. I was looking for a program with a supportive culture, and co-residents that I could be friends with; I really enjoyed talking with all the people I met on my interview, and I got to indulge my nerdier side having a long conversation about Marvel movies and comics with one of the chiefs. I also chose Cincinnati because of the evidence-based learning approach, and the unique long-block experience, which I think will be invaluable in training, and help me get to where I want to be in my career.
Education
DO: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine