Panel Provides Priceless Insight on Path to Medical School

Approximately 30 Nebraska student-athletes with aspirations of medical school or related programs received valuable advice from three panelists providing a blueprint on how to best position themselves for admission.

The annual event took place on March 14th and featured Dr. Erin Sayer, Coordinator of Pre-Professional Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences, along with two former Huskers.  Dr. Jeff Hill, who played football under Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, is the current Dean of Admissions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), and he was joined by Mark Hightower, a former Husker catcher with the baseball team from Elkhorn, Nebraska who is a third year student at UNMC.

Hightower conveyed to the student-athletes that their daily demands and workload as a student-athlete will serve them well as they prepare for the rigors and challenges of medical school.  Hightower, who is pursuing a career in orthopedics, stressed several key points.  "First and foremost, you must know what is driving you to become a Doctor."  Next, he added, "the sheer volume of material to study in medical school can be overwhelming.  You need to be consistent with your studying, 4 to 6 hours a day, and know that for most, cramming will never work."  Finally, added Hightower, "It is important to have a life outside of the classroom and take time for yourself to recharge and refresh - for me it is fishing and hunting."

Dr. Hill, whose son, Danny, was a track and field student-athlete at Nebraska, also emphasized the importance of being able to define why you're pursuing medical school and why do you want to become a Doctor.  Hill also stressed the importance of being a well-rounded student while in college, as it is not all about the grade point average and test scores.  "I'm interested in respect, compassion, depth of relationships, involvement and leadership."

Dr. Sayer instructed those in attendance to work closely with her office on all advising issues, the application process, and mock interviewing to stay on track for eventual admission to medical school.