Congratulations to Sheryl!  Premed of the Week!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  I’m a nontraditional student preparing my candidacy for medical school. Previously, I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Education in Community Health and worked in the Corporate Wellness setting before earning my Masters in Education in Health Promotion and Exercise Psychology. In addition, I am a certified Health Education Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Group Fitness Instructor. My master’s thesis was the impact of group exercise motivational climate on body image. I absolutely love the beach and anything Disney, and given that most of my family has moved to southern California, I hope to attend medical school there. Plus, California wines and craft beer are great 🙂

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you?  Being a nontraditional student, my ten-year high school reunion has come and gone, so I’m going to focus on my favorite undergraduate teacher. She was my Human Health and Sexuality professor freshman year, and she encouraged me to become involved with multiple on and off campus activities. Without her support and mentorship, I would not be who I am today.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why?  When I was a freshman, I thought about the pre-med track, but first semester science courses made me think I wanted to be involved in health via a different route. After six years working with all populations and ages in the health and wellness setting, I realized I yearn to build personal relationships with my patients that involves a holistic approach to medicine. This was especially apparent post master’s working as a health coach. In order to fully work with patients, I need the knowledge of a physician. In addition, I hope to continue to bridge the gap between lifestyle modification prescriptions and decrease weight bias in the healthcare setting.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? Family Medicine and/or Preventative Health

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? Currently I work as a Family and Youth Specialist at an acute care pediatric mental health hospital. I purposefully picked the job to garner more experience before attending medical school. While accepting the position terrified me at first, I am learning so much! I get to shadow doctors as part of my job and see the behavioral health side to medicine. Therefore, I think it is cool, and has solidified my want to go to medical school.

6. What is your favorite book? I love the Harry Potter series. Specifically related to healthcare, the book, “Motivational Interviewing in Health Care: Helping Patients Change Behavior” by Rollnick, Miller, and Butler is a must-read.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. Mediation saves my brain from overload and competes with sleep for my favorite daily activity.