Pumas Playing On
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Claire Fallat, Development Engagement and Alumni Manager
This past summer, senior Maddie T. experienced how dedicated UPrep alumni are to supporting current Pumas and their learning. To explore her interest in becoming a doctor, she connected with three alumni who work in the medical field. Lauren Smilde ’08 met with Maddie to discuss her career as a hospice nurse, and Max Kirst ’14 talked with her about his work in the hematology lab at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Then, she followed Dr. Sarah (Camp) Salemy ’94, an obstetrician/gynecologist, for four days at her Seattle-area practice. Recently I talked with Maddie and Sarah about their experience of working together.
Sarah, why were you willing to have Maddie job shadow you this summer?
SARAH: It’s exciting to have someone who is interested in what you do, because it’s not for everybody. I selfishly got something out of it because it’s fun to share the excitement.
Maddie, what did you do during the job shadow?
MADDIE: For three days, I followed Sarah during her clinical rounds. If the patient allowed, I joined her in the exam room and took notes. Afterward, while Sarah typed up her notes, I looked up terms that I didn’t understand in this big textbook of gynecology made for medical students. Then I asked Sarah questions about the medical terms or conditions.
I also got to spend a day in the OR [operating room]!
SARAH: We did an abdominal surgery on one of the patients. Maddie sat in on the preoperative visit. It was a patient I had seen for a while who needed to have a 15-centimeter fibroid in her uterus removed. The timing was good because Maddie could follow the arc from preoperative care to surgery.
MADDIE: I got to scrub in and that was so awesome! I thought I would be observing and taking notes like I did in the appointments. Instead, I really got to be hands-on. I was worried because they told me that I might feel faint and what to do if that happened. But that wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking, “This is the coolest thing I have ever seen."
Maddie, how was UPrep prepared you for this job shadow experience?
MADDIE: I think UPrep is a community in which we are encouraged to not be afraid to fail, and we are here to lift each other up. That creates a safe environment where I can go and try things and risk not being great at them. I think this willingness to take risks comes from having strong support from the adults at UPrep.
Sarah, how did UPrep prepare you for your career?
SARAH: My English Teacher Mr. Chursky inspired me. English class was not my strength, but his encouragement made me believe I could do well in his class. Prior to taking his class, I didn’t see a bigger world for myself. It hadn’t occurred to me to do more than get by, but his encouragement made me believe in myself. Mr. Chursky was also my soccer coach. (He played for the Sounders in the ’70s.) It was also an important time for the girls’ soccer team: we went to state in 1994. The combo of gaining confidence in a class I struggled in and the team’s success on the soccer field made me feel like I could do more than just get by. His encouragement and guidance were pivotal for me.
Sarah, what have you learned about community by being a member of the UPrep alumni community, including serving on the Alumni Board?
SARAH: It’s important to maintain connections by reaching out to the people in your class and the teachers that were at UPrep at the same time. It’s easy to slip away and be caught up in your own world. Like any relationship, these connections need to be nurtured.
Maddie, what did you learn about community through working with Sarah and talking with Lauren and Max?
MADDIE: I was amazed at the UPrep alumni and their dedication to learning, service, and helping students find their path. I am so grateful to the alums I met and spent time with.
SARAH: It was a lot of fun to have Maddie in the operating room. She was like, “That was awesome,” and I was like, “I know—isn’t it so cool?"
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