2017 Pre-Med Grads Reflect on Time at Rockhurst as New Med School Alumni

While Commencement marks the finish line for many students, others have miles and miles to go.

For pre-med students at Rockhurst, they have exhausted the University’s opportunities and resources, earned a bachelor’s degree, and are off to medical school as official RU alumni.

The following Hawks from the Class of 2017 just completed the next phase of their education journey by graduating from a sister Jesuit school, Saint Louis University School of Medicine. All four recently received their “matches” for their residencies. Matches are when the hospitals the medical students choose match up with the students the hospitals choose. 

In addition to sharing their memories of Rockhurst, they share what’s next in their careers.

Andrew Garcia

Rockhurst helped prepare me for medical school in several ways. First and foremost, it provided me with a solid pre-medical education focusing on basic sciences, which proved invaluable during my didactic years of training. Equally, if not more important, were the relationships I built at Rockhurst and the communication and management skills I cultivated through my involvement in extracurriculars. This helped tremendously during my clinical years of medical school, where I was able to comfortably talk with patients no matter their background, and stay organized and motivated during the most stressful and demanding parts of my education. On top of it all, I was fortunate to continue my Jesuit education and mission of being a “man for others,” which began in high school and continued through Rockhurst University, SLU Medical School, and now SLU Residency.
 
The next steps in my career are beginning an Emergency Medicine residency at Saint Louis University Hospital. My ultimate goal is to serve my hometown community of St. Louis as a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine physician.

Ravali Reddy Inja

I came to Rockhurst University knowing exactly what I wanted to accomplish: receive a well-rounded education that would prepare me for medical school and become a holistic physician for the community. The SLU Medical Scholars program at Rockhurst was quite attractive as it provided me a set goal to work towards during my 4 years at Rockhurst as well as helped me gain necessary skills such as time management. Being a dual-degree (organismal biology and psychology) major at RU meant I received the best of both worlds and learned how to apply this intertwined knowledge to my future studies at SLU Medical School. 

As far as next steps, it includes moving to my dream city (Manhattan/NYC) to be a pediatric resident at one of the top children's hospitals in the country – New York Presbyterian Weill-Cornell (Komansky Children's Hospital) for the next three years. Currently I am thinking of pursuing pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine for fellowship, but with the vast exposure I am about to receive, that may change at any point! Lastly, I would like to add that I couldn't have done it without the support I received from my mentors at Rockhurst/SLUSOM, family and friends. This one is for you all! 

Katherine Polednik

I LOVED my time at RU! To this day, it is probably one of the most formative experiences of my life. I really grew my passion for medicine while there, as well as developed strong leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and study skills. The support system that Rockhurst offered enabled me to work incredibly hard and enjoy my college experience, providing constant encouragement. Everyone pushed me to show my true potential while maintaining a sense of humility. Working with multiple professors on research projects helped me get connected with researchers at SLU – I was much more prepared than my peers when it came to reading scientific papers and interpreting the results. I also developed long and lasting friendships with the students who came with me to medical school! We’ve all gone to each other’s weddings now, and throughout med school it was nice to have a built-in study partner. I recommend the school to everyone I know who’s looking for good colleges! 

I will be going into ear, nose, and throat surgery (aka otolaryngology) at the Cleveland Clinic.

Tim Ratz

Rockhurst was instrumental in preparing me for medical school. The professors provided me with an incredible knowledge of the basic sciences that laid the foundation of my learning in medical school. What they taught me the most was to always remember to be focused on being "men and women for and with others." Having a Jesuit education from Rockhurst University and St. Louis University School of Medicine will always keep me focused on serving others, and to strive to be a man for others by always putting my patients' needs first.

I will be doing my Pediatric residency at St. Louis Children's Hospital/Washington University in St. Louis.

I’ll always remember my time at Rockhurst! 

Rockhurst pre-med students have access to a wide variety of opportunities and resources, including health-related clubs and fraternities, volunteering opportunities, pre-health advisors and research opportunities. Students interested in early acceptance programs meet demanding academic standards along with leadership, service and professional development benchmarks. Pre-med students collaborate with their advisors to develop a course strategy that prepares them for the medical schools of their choice.