COM student of the month — meet Leah Svingen

Name: Leah Svingen

Hometown: Omaha

Program/Year:  College of Medicine, M4 (first time I’m saying that!)

Education: High school – Duchesne Academy; College – St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Activities: 

Throughout my four years in medical school, I’ve held board positions in the SHARING Clinics, Phi Rho Sigma Medical Society, American Medical Association, Nebraska Medical Association, Gold Humanism Honor Society, and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. My involvement in these activities have been my favorite thing about medical school and have kept me passionate about medicine despite the long hours of studying.

Staying Balanced: 

This is something that I have learned with trial and error and is one of the most difficult aspects of medical school to figure out. Medical school has often pushed me to my limits, both intellectually and emotionally, and I’ve often had to take a step back to question if I’m putting my energy into the right things. Spending time with my family, taking time out of my daily routine to make a nice dinner and work out, and letting myself take off a night of studying to just "veg out" have been essential for maintaining balance.

List three things people may not know about you:

1.      I started playing the piano at age 7 and cello at age 9. I played both through high school and cello in college.

2.      I played on the St. Olaf Womens’ Ultimate Frisbee Team and went to DIII nationals twice.

3.      The only pet I’ve ever owned was a guinea pig named Teddy.