Chemistry major
Nephrologist, Medical Director, Saint Bernard's Regional Medical Center Dialysis Program, Clopton Clinic, Jonesboro, Ark.
Highlight quote
"The attention to detail (in lab journals, etc.) that was expected by the chemistry, physics, and mathematics faculty has translated very well into the physician documentation detail that is expected by the medical establishment, insurance companies, and Medicare."
Current projects
Nephrologist, Medical Director, Saint Bernard's Regional Medical Center Dialysis Program, Clopton Clinic, Jonesboro, Ark."\
Undergraduate Research
Organic chemistry research with Dr. Goodwin; Synthesis and Purification of novel Primaquine analogs which were tested against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
How Hendrix prepared me for success
My Hendrix experience taught me many things that I still use every day. I learned to manage my time to process large volumes of material in a systematic fashion. That is, I learned how to study. I never would have survived medical school had I not sharpened this skill at Hendrix .The attention to detail (in lab journals, etc.) that was expected by the chemistry, physics, and mathematics faculty has translated very well into the physician documentation detail that is expected by the medical establishment, insurance companies, and Medicare. The phrase "if you did not document it, it didn't happen" served me well in Dr. Goodwin's organic chemistry lab and continues to ring true in my day-to-day practice. I also learned to appreciate the occasional escape from Reynolds Hall in courses such as Concepts of Religion, Concepts of Music, and Rhetoric in Writing, among several others. The value of these courses only amplifies as I move further and further from my time at Hendrix.
Future plans
We are growing our outpatient dialysis coverage area to include many small communities around Jonesboro and are increasingly focusing on and encouraging home dialysis modalities which we feel offer end-stage-renal-disease patients a better quality of life.
My advice
Embrace the blessing that is undergraduate college and is Hendrix. After nine years of graduate training and six years of private practice, I wouldn't know what to do with a fresh four years at Hendrix. I didn't think of it in those terms in 1992. Learn Spanish. Learn to paint. Read some Faulkner and take a road trip to Oxford, Mississippi. Ask Dr. Hales why you can't cool a house by leaving the refrigerator door open. Listen to Dr. Boehm's thoughts on music. One day you'll be scanning through XM Radio and hear a song that will take you immediately back to one of his lectures. Respect the faculty. They are so knowledgeable and valuable. Most importantly, I think, while you are there: Learn how to continue to acquire new knowledge and skills after your time at Hendrix is complete.