Finding meaning in medicine
How UC Clermont propelled a student from construction work to medical school
When Milford, Ohio, native Luke Ustick graduated from high school, he didn’t see higher education in his future.
“I was homeschooled, but I didn’t apply myself,” Ustick said. “I never thought I would come to college.”
Instead, he planned to pursue a trade and tried different types of work — in siding, windows, landscaping and concrete — for three years, searching for his path.
“With everything, I always wanted more,” Ustick said.
An avid runner and hiker, Ustick decided to become a physical therapist and began attending the University of Cincinnati Clermont College’s physical therapist assistant program as a launch point. When Ustick’s anatomy and physiology professor, Karen Mathis, invited health professionals to speak to his class about their jobs, he noticed a common thread among them.
“Every one of them chose to do something they enjoyed doing, even though it was hard,” said Ustick. “That stuck with me.”
UC Clermont pre-medicine graduate Luke Ustick in the college's cancer research lab. Photo/Danny Kidd
At the end of his first year at UC Clermont, Ustick loved his biology class so much that his professor, Vicki Gomez-Stallons, recommended Ustick for a research lab position at the college. He spent a year studying cancer stem cells, presented his findings with fellow student Yatra Patel to Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center — and chose to pursue medical school. “I was hooked.”
Now, the aspiring doctor who once thought he would never set foot in a college classroom will begin courses as a medical science student in UC’s College of Medicine this fall. Ustick hopes to eventually work as a physician in geriatrics or surgery.
But first, he landed a role as one of two paid pre-fellows in Cincinnati Children’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, thanks to the Cronin Career Scholars program.
With everything, I always wanted more ... I'm looking for a career that has impact.
Luke Ustick UC Clermont pre-medicine graduate; current College of Medicine student
The Cronin Career Scholars program collaborates with on-campus and community organizations to create local internships. Students work part time, learn professional skills and apply what they learn in the classroom to the workplace — in real time. It is the first paid internship program of its kind available to UC Clermont students.
Ustick studied microproteins in the hospital’s cardiology lab — and was ready for the challenge.
“I enjoy physiology and science and want to use this knowledge to diagnose and help people — to change lives — in meaningful ways. Getting hands-on experience now makes it all more real,” said Ustick. “I’m looking for a career that has an impact.”
Learn more about the Cronin Career Scholars co-op program.
Featured image at top: UC Clermont pre-medicine graduate Luke Ustick conducts research in the college's cancer lab. Photo/Danny Kidd
About UC Clermont
UC Clermont College is in Clermont County on 91 beautifully wooded acres in Batavia Township. The college is an accredited, open-access institution offering more than 60 programs and degrees. UC Clermont is part of the nationally recognized University of Cincinnati. For more information, call 513-556-5400 or visit www.ucclermont.edu.
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