Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA
Undergrad School: University of California, Santa Barbara
Age: 26
Class: Doctor of Osteopathic medicine – Class of 2012

Any advice for prospective students?

Wherever you interview, I would strongly suggest staying with current students, if possible. At DMU some students will even give you rides from the airport! Staying with a student will give you invaluable insight to the school, the student body and life in that city (and can help you prep for the interview). After you have matriculated use your second-year students as a resource. They will give you great advice and can answer any questions you have. At DMU there are plenty of opportunities to get to know the second years (paired with a “big” brother/sister, they help TA classes, through clubs, intramurals, school events).

Extracurricular activities:

I stay involved with a variety of clubs which have guest speakers, community and clinical volunteer opportunities, and other activities. I also volunteer for the Big Brother/Big Sister program at an elementary school down the street. DMU also has a nice gym where I play on intramural basketball and volleyball teams. Outside of school there are popular bars and clubs in downtown Des Moines and West Des Moines and there are always sporting events going on. GO ENERGY!

Why DMU?

During my interview visit, I got the sense that the students were friendly towards each other and that it would be a collaborative learning environment. I was also impressed with the DMU’s technology especially the state of the art simulation lab and the opportunities for international rotations. Our global health department is continually expanding and the school funds 2/3 of the cost if you decide to do an international rotation! Once I started school, I found the professors and staff to be approachable and accessible (some walk around the campus answering questions the evening before a test), and even the president and dean of the college keep an ear to the student body with regular student luncheons. Meet the faculty!

Career objectives:

I’m trying to keep an open mind about specialties until I get into rotations. The nice thing about DMU is that there are lots of opportunities to connect with doctors in different fields. For example, I dined with a nephrologist, participated in a Q and A with a panel of specialists and attended several lunchtime lectures of physicians in all types of medicine.

Favorite thing about Des Moines:

Good people, cheap rent, great education.