 Michael is a biology / pre-medicine  major. His SDSU activities include Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Tri Beta Biological Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, intramural softball, genetic research, and anatomy class intern.
What does being an anatomy class intern involve?
It involves knowing all the anatomy terms and locations and then teaching them to students. The biggest challenge is that, because I’m teaching, I need to know the material better than if I was just taking the class. As a result, I learned a lot more about anatomy. I was also required to dissect the cadavers a few times throughout the semester. I’ve decided to be on the dissection team this fall, and I’ll be one of three people who do the majority of the dissecting.
What are you currently working on?
I’m shadowing a doctor at Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls. My day starts very early (I wake up around 4:30 a.m.) and drive to the hospital in time for the 7:00 a.m. start of the day. I get to follow the doctor around and sit in on the surgeries he does. For the most part, I’m no more than about four feet from the surgery. I’ve gotten to see a few hip and knee replacements, as well as a few scope procedures. At about 3:00, he’s done with surgeries and goes on rounds. By about 4:00 the day is over.
What specialty of medicine do you plan to pursue?
I want to go into orthopedic surgery. I always thought that sounded fun, and after shadowing an orthopedic surgeon, I know that doing that type of surgery would be a great fit for me. If I don't end up in orthopedics, I'll still end up in some kind of surgery.
What has been the biggest surprise about SDSU?
How friendly all the faculty are here. I thought that since I was just an undergraduate, the professors with Ph.D.s wouldn’t think much of my problems. Instead, I found that if I had a question, they were more than willing to help for as long as it took.
What was your motivation for studying last semester?
I was feeling a little overwhelmed with my MCAT [the Medical College Admission Test] studying, so I made a bet with my dad to give me a little extra motivation for doing well. The bet was, if I got a 4.0 GPA for the semester and over a 30 on my MCAT, he had to shave off his moustache and goatee, which he had for almost 30 years. I ended up getting a 4.0 GPA and a 32 on the MCAT, so I got to shave them off. |
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