“Through my volunteer experiences, public service work, and clinical experience, I realized that medicine offered me the ability to engage in all the areas I loved.”
The following is an interview from when Ashley was a student in the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University.
Ashely has an undergraduate degree from Le Moyne College and her hometown is Syracuse, New York.
What inspired you to pursue a healthcare career?
Growing up, I was always interested in many things. I loved to teach, I loved community work, I was engulfed in philosophy and ethics and so much more. I loved being involved in many aspects of life and I always felt that choosing one career was limiting and constraining… until I discovered medicine.
Through my volunteer experiences, public service work, and clinical experience, I realized that medicine offered me the ability to engage in all the areas I loved. Where I look to teach, I can teach my patients about the importance of primary and preventative healthcare and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Where I look to leave my impact in the community, I can advocate for my patients and help them navigate through the social determinants of health. Where I look to engage in my love of scientific discovery and research, I get to be a life-long learner. And when I yearn to engage in my love of ethics and humanities, I will practice humanity in medicine, by offering patient-centered and socially conscious care with each patient.
How did your background and history factor into your career choice?
I am a first-generation college student and first-generation future physician. While my parents did not attend a four-year college or professional school, both of my parents are in the healthcare field. My parents’ role as healthcare professionals was influential in my choice of being a healthcare provider, but my desire to be a physician came from not seeing any physicians who looked like me growing up. I became aware of the healthcare disparities affecting my community and I realized that many people desired to have a physician who looked like them and understood their culture. I chose to pursue medicine so that I could add to the significantly low numbers of physicians from underrepresented minority backgrounds, in the hopes of better serving my community.
Why did you decide to attend Midwestern University?
I completed the Master of Biomedical Science program at Midwestern prior to matriculating in the medical school. During my master’s program, I appreciated the support that was given to me as a non-traditional student, who was a wife and mother of two children. The faculty here are extremely kind, and they dedicated their time to help me become a better student in the classroom and through research. Additionally, the campus has a family-oriented vibe, and I always felt like a human and not just a number in a lecture hall. The medical school faculty are much of the same faculty in the master’s program, so I knew this feeling of support in my education would carry over.
What about a Midwestern University education do you want to carry forward in your career?
I love Midwestern’s interprofessional approach to medicine. I believe the University does a great job of encouraging us to work with our other health profession colleagues to better serve our future patients. There is no feeling of superiority in any of the professional schools here at Midwestern University, and we all recognize and appreciate the collaborative effort to give our future patients the best care possible. I hope to hold onto this mindset of teamwork and collaboration as I transition into my career as a physician.
