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:
Name: Tyler Chonis
Hometown: Omaha
Program/Year: College of Medicine, First-year
Education:
Millard West High School, Omaha
University of Nebraska-Lincoln with degrees in biochemistry and biology
Activities:
I participate in a variety of organizations here at UNMC. I am the treasurer for the College of Medicine Class of 2018 as well as for the student-run SHARING Clinic. Currently, I am collaborating with two other classmates and Dr. Talmon from the pathology department on a e-module that will be focused on walking second-year medical students through the journey of diagnosis and therapy for a patient with breast cancer.
I am one of the co-presidents of a new student organization called the Research Interest Group which has formed this year with the help of a second- and a third-year medical student with the goals of connecting students looking to do research with professors who are in need of student researchers as well as providing students the resources they need to go about finding research.
I am also a mentor in the High School Alliance program and an active member of Phi Rho Sigma Medical Society and the American Medical Association. I volunteer in the do juSTIce program,which provides free STI education and testing at the Douglas County Correctional Facility.
Hobbies:
My best friend is my two-and-a-half-year-old chocolate lab named Jake. He means the world to me and occupies most of my free time outside of school. Coming home from school every day and having someone so excited they can't stop jumping on you is one of the greatest feelings out there.
I enjoy wakeboarding and any other lake activities. Running and swimming are two of my passions I use to keep me in shape.
Staying Balanced:
At times, I worry that I have stretched myself too thin balancing all my activities and school. But staying organized and utilizing my online calendar has allowed me to always stay on top of my activities and studies.
Staying organized is key. I stick to the schedules I make for myself which allows me plenty of free time.
I always find time on the weekends to spend with my family and friends. I think it’s important to specifically set aside time to relax and unwind, regardless of how much studying needs to be done. It lowers stress and makes studying easier and more productive.
List three things people may not know about you:
I am quite colorblind (which can make aspects of medical school very difficult).
I have been known to eat entire heads of iceberg lettuce (the best type of lettuce) on occasion.
I was adopted when I was a baby by the best parents a kid could ask for.