Editor’s Note: Each month, InterCOM will highlight a “Student of the Month” from the College of Medicine. Students will be featured for their participation in activities outside of medical school and for making a difference in the community. The goal is to recognize students for what they are doing and to encourage other students to get involved in the community. After all, medical school should be much more than studying.
Personal:
I am a second-year medical student born and raised in Cameroon, Africa and moved to the USA in 2008. I attended Benson High School and obtained my undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
UNO gave me the best four years an undergrad could ask for and I look forward to greater things here at UNMC. However, if I could do college over again, I'd probably go back and major in bioinformatics rather than general science which was my major.
Growing up, dentistry was my dream. I eventually realized during my junior year of college that I would be of greater service to humanity as a medical doctor and there came the switch. In life, I aspire not only to climb to the top, but to create my own pinnacle.
Activities:
Besides medical school, I am involved in a few other things such as Reading Drive for Africa, a new non-profit organization. It was born out of a commitment made by myself and two other Cameroonian students at the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference (CGIU) in 2013.
Our organization is focused on building libraries in Africa, equipping them with necessary library resources and most importantly, garnishing them with sustainable literacy programs and staff to encourage reading and improve literacy among African children.
The reading drive has blossomed over the years with more members and advisors helping us to achieve this noble goal.
I am on the board of the SHARING student clinic as a co-research coordinator. Serving this way so far has been one of the highlights of my first year at UNMC. I am involved in other organizations and extracurricular as well, all of which help maintain my sanity when studying gets out of hand as it sometime does.
Hobbies:
I love dancing and cooking. But I only love to cook when I have an enthusiastic group of friends/family waiting for my cuisine. Other hobbies include writing random reflective articles and painting.
Staying Balanced:
I stay balanced through prayer, listening to preachers online, and meditation. Without this I would be lost. Exercising keeps me from falling asleep at random hours of the day and energizes me to keep studying.
I love hanging out with friends and family, watching inspirational talks on YouTube, and calling friends and family I have hardly contacted since med school started.
Some things people may not know about you:
I just learned how to ride a bike this past June.
Now I think riding a bike from 42nd Street to Walmart on 72nd Street is a great idea.