What is your hometown?
I was born in Brookings, SD, but I spent my elementary school years in Kasson, MN, and my junior high and high school years in Jonesville, MI. I have actually now lived in Iowa City longer than anywhere else in my life!
How or when did you become interested in science and medicine?
I have loved music and mathematics since I was very young, and I was always inquisitive. When I was a little girl, I read that the appendix had no known function in the body, and I decided I would find out the purpose of the appendix when I grew up; but I guess somebody knows that now. I was interested in chemistry in high school, and intended to study chemical engineering in college. However, I hated writing computer programs, and I had an amazing chemistry professor who made me see a beauty in chemical structures like that of music and colors. He inspired me to study pure chemistry. While doing undergraduate research in organic chemistry (drug synthesis) I discovered a particular interest in the structures and mechanisms of action of psychoactive drugs and drugs of abuse. I have had some personal experience of seeing the effects of mental illness in people close to me, and it was suggested to me that an M.D./Ph.D. program might be a very good way to prepare myself for a career researching the pharmacological alleviation of neurological disease. After the first 2 years of medical school, Medical Scientist Training Program students do a couple of clinical rotations before starting the graduate school phase of our studies. It was then that I discovered a real love in being with patients and listening to their stories, and at that point I was very grateful that I had chosen an M.D./Ph.D. path, instead of just a Ph.D. in organic chemistry. So, I guess I have always been interested in science and I had the superb surprise of discovering medicine later.
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa to attend medical school?
It is an excellent medical school! I had a friend in college whose parents work here, and he told me I should definitely consider applying. I was impressed when I came here to interview – his parents were so kind to me, and everyone was very friendly. I asked people whose opinion I valued, and they told me it is a great place for clinical training and for research. There is a good pain research group here, a good neuroscience program and good neurology faculty. In particular there was a specific researcher here with whom I wanted to work. To tip the balance in favor of the University of Iowa, I really like Iowa City. It is not a big city, which means that I can get away into the countryside and sit out in the middle of nowhere and smell fields of cow manure (one of my favorite smells). I can see the stars at night. I can feel relatively safe anywhere I go, and I often go for long walks in the middle of the night, which I probably wouldn’t do in a place like Chicago.
Is there a teacher, mentor or Carver College of Medicine faculty member who has helped shape your education?
As I mentioned above, one of the reasons I came to the University of Iowa was to work with Donna Hammond. She has been an incredible mentor and has taught me so much about science; from writing grants, to analyzing data, to publishing papers, to running a lab effectively. She is a great teacher, and a great scientist. She has really taught me how much patience scientific research requires, along with day-to-day care and integrity in the collection and analysis of data. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to work in her lab.
What kinds of opportunities or advantages does being a medical student at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
There is a wonderful student body here, students who are willing and eager to cooperate with each other and to make learning fun and not cut-throat. Most of the faculty are generous with time and advice, and many faculty are top in their fields of specialty. I have not been intimidated or made to feel insignificant or bothersome when I had questions or have needed guidance. The research environment here is great, although we always need more money for research. There are very good scientists here, and again, a level of collaboration that I suspect is less common at some other institutions. The College of Medicine should work hard to keep good research scientists here so that we can continue to tackle tough questions in order to develop better understandings and better treatments of painful and destructive diseases.
Please describe your professional goals and interests?
I would like to be a neurologist. I am interested in headaches and sleep disorders and diseases involving physiological and psychological stress and pain. Research will probably be a part of whatever work I do, and I hope to have an opportunity to teach, since I have had the benefit of many good teachers. Unfortunately there is no bottom to the sea of pain and suffering in which so many drown: people who suffer without hope, which is the worst kind of pain. I am interested in relieving pain of all kinds, and in discovering better methods of treating chronic painful disorders and diseases. Every illness is also an opportunity for healing, and every question has an answer, although we may not be able to see it.
What are some of your outside interests?
I play the piano, sing in the church choir, participate in church activities, garden, knit and sew. My favorite plants to grow are hot peppers, especially habaneros. I also like to eat them. I believe that plants have nervous systems, which haven’t been discovered yet. I love to read, especially poetry, and I run almost every day. I like to get up very early in the morning and eat a big breakfast.
Do you participate in any community service/outreach projects? If so, what are they and what have your experiences been?
Not really. I have had opportunities to help others through the church and through other acquaintances. I try to make it part of everyday life; to be ready and available to help anyone who is in need. I think common courtesy is a great community service. People should help others who are in need, especially family members, instead of judging them and talking about how they got where they are because of their own bad choices. People should also pull weeds whenever and wherever they see them, instead of using herbicides. People should also pick up garbage lying about.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your work?
We have nothing which is not given us. We are nothing which is not created. Whoever wants to be great must be everyone’s servant. So many people, parents and teachers, have poured into me love and life and blessings, I want to make them proud and honor them by giving that away to others. Every morning I pray that I would faithfully do what I ought to do, with strength and gratitude for all the good things I have received, that I might be an agent of grace, mercy, life, health, and peace in the world.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
I would like everyone to be able to see the image of God in the faces of their brothers and sisters.
What one piece of advice you would give to students who are interested in applying to medical school?
It is a big commitment, a commitment to a life of giving and of always being asked to give more. You will be challenged to your capacity. Make sure you understand your motivations before you get into something that will make you question yourself, your life, your purpose, and your abilities on every level. Make sure you are healthy enough yourself to be able to heal others.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
Good physicians who practice the art of healing. I think we need to understand that healing involves both the body and the soul, that the health of one is essential to and a part of the health of the other. Drugs are just one aspect of treatment (an expensive one), but they are an important part of medicine, and I hope for the development and discovery of new and better drugs that relieve suffering, that people can afford.