Hi! My name is Matthew I am currently a junior majoring in Interdisciplinary Health Science with the Health and Behavior Change concentration. After my undergraduate schooling I plan on taking a gap year before attending medical school. I am involved in research on campus, employed in a clinical setting outside of school, and I try to keep up with my hobbies outside of academics.

Hometown

I am from Metamora, Illinois, a small farm town in central Illinois in the Midwest of the United States

Major(s)

Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (Health and Behavior Change Concentration) Pre-Med Track

Clubs, organizations & involvement

- Member with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) @ Illinois - Vice President and member of Pre-Optometry Club - Member of the ALD PES Freshman Honor Society - Cofounder of the Ronald McDonald House Charity Activity Committee - Research Assistant in the Attention and Perception Lab at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

Describe your college experience

From high school to college, I definitely learned a lot about what I liked and what I wanted to become later in life. I was very happy with the freedoms that college allows, your class schedule is much more flexible on a day to day basis so you have more time for activities you enjoy. Also, coming from a smaller hometown I was happy with all of the opportunities on a college campus, there really is almost everything you might want to do, whatever your passion is there is a club for you, as a student at a major university you have access to several very nice facilities, sports fields, a full gym with weights and cardio, academic lecture halls and buildings with renovated study spaces and new technology. Ultimately my college experience involved a lifestyle adjustment, but it is a switch to a lifestyle you want to live, college is normally the first step away from home for many and I think this is the time where you get to decide what your own life will look like.

Tip for future students

One major thing I think future students should know is about the individual responsibility that college brings. As a freshman you will be involved in at least one large gen-ed class with a few hundred people in your lecture hall, this means that the teacher and even TAs will not be checking on you to get your assignments done or to show up to class. Managing your time and holding yourself accountable are two things that are very important as a new college student because there are not the same direct consequences that are present in high school but at some point in time the negative outcomes of not doing your work, going to class, or other decisions will catch up to you.

Favorite class

My favorite class that I have taken is definitely Human Anatomy, as someone who is pre-med I was already somewhat familiar with the subject which probably made the class a little easier to me however, the professor did a great job at outlining the material and relating this material to real-world applications which made it easier to learn. There were several fun lab activities we did where we used our actual bodies for data collection which made the class more involved and more interesting to me.

Career goals

I plan on going to medical school, I would love to specialize in ophthalmology (eye surgery) after graduating med school. I want to be a physician who is known and trusted by the community I end of serving, I really enjoy talking with people and I have a natural interest in really understanding people so I hope to make string connections with my patients on top of delivering them the proper care.

Ideal way to spend a free night

I normally am pretty flexible with my evening plans, I work out often so I would probably want to hit the gym and freshen up, pick up some carryout like chipotle for dinner and then hopping on my PC with some of my friends and play some games until who knows what hour, other times I like to go out and have a fun night with a group of friends, in the summer I love attending a Friday Night Lights car show, honestly pretty much anything that involves a social group is fun for me!

High school or secondary school

I attended Metamora Township High School in Metamora, Illinois, United States

Previous college

I spent my freshman and sophomore year at Purdue University in Indiana