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by Tara Beverly
When
first-year student Katie Pestak initially applied to medical
school she only applied to M.D. schools. It never crossed her
mind to apply to D.O. schools; she didn’t even know what a D.O.
was. After some research, she decided to apply to osteopathic
schools.
“Before, I didn’t know anything
about osteopathic medicine,” says Pestak, a graduate of Mount
St. Mary’s College in Emmetsburg, Md., and Mentor native. “I was
familiar with M.D.s, but after I got accepted to osteopathic
schools I began to really research the osteopathic approach to
medicine.”
Soon she discovered something.
“I liked the osteopathic
philosophy and what it means to be an osteopathic physician.
“It’s weird, but when you find
a place where you fit, a place where you feel you really belong,
your heart is set on getting into that school.
That’s what it was like for me when I
interviewed at OU-COM. I tried several times to get into medical
school before I was finally accepted. I kept trying —
that was the key. I took the MCAT way too many times, but it
finally paid off,” says Pestak, who also has a master’s degree
in medicine science from Boston University School of Medicine.
For those seeking to get into
medical school, she says to “keep trying.”
Pestak has had a wonderful
experience in her first quarter. There is excitement and passion
in her eyes for her chosen profession. With a huge smile on her
face, she shares her journey into medicine.
Several things attracted Pestak
to OU-COM. First she says that the curriculum at OU-COM is
extraordinary, and she feels that the college provides many
opportunities for professional growth. In the past weeks she has
participated in patient-simulation labs and interviewed
patients. This surprised Pestak, as she thought that these
opportunities would come much later in the year.
“Here at OU-COM there are many
opportunities beyond the classroom,” says Pestak. “This is very
important to me.”
Another thing surprised
her.
“When I was working towards my
master’s degree I studied so much. Here I still study a lot but
have opportunities to have fun. Classes are nearby, and the
faculty is very accessible. I felt welcome from the moment I
stepped on campus. I never thought medical school would be this
gratifying. I get e-mails about salsa dancing, movie night and
other extracurricular activities, which is really nice. There is
a genuine camaraderie among the students. That’s awesome,” she
says.
Pestak loves working with
children, and her ultimate goal is to become a pediatrician. She
has worked as a volunteer on pediatric wards, which she found a
very fulfilling experience. Making a difference in the life of a
child is a very rewarding experience, and children are great
patients, she says.
As first-year vice president of
the Pediatrics Club, Pestak has had the opportunity to work with
children through the college’s Little People’s Hospital and area
schools. During Halloween the club visited schools and talked to
kindergarten and first graders about Halloween safety.
“It’s great to
think that I have only been here for 10 weeks, and I’ve already
been able to help children. I eventually want to set up a
pediatrics practice in the Cleveland area, close to my family,”
says Pestak, one of five siblings.
Pestak says she is pleased with
her class schedule. Monday, Wednesday and Friday she has
basic-science classes. These days she also spends time in
clinics, shadowing physicians and practicing the skills she is
acquiring. Tuesdays and Thursdays she has case-based learning
classes.
“They are really interesting,”
says Pestak. “We are divided into groups of eight students and
begin to learn how to look at cases from a physician’s point of
view.”
She also is studying
osteopathic manipulative medicine. Pestak says that she really
enjoys OMM because you get to practice manipulation techniques.
“I was so excited that we were
able to jump right into it. It’s definitely awkward at first to
pair up with someone you don’t know, but soon after, you begin
to really get comfortable with manipulation. I’ve learned so
much.”
Pestak praised OU-COM staff.
“They’re wonderful,” she says. She appreciates the fact that
they are so willing to sit down one-on-one with students for
review sessions and know students’ names. Pestak says that
faculty and staff take the time to care and are very
encouraging.
“They tell us, ‘You guys are
going to make great physicians.’ This is so great to hear. They
really want to see us to succeed, which makes this experience a
lot easier,” says Pestak.
As for her plans for the future
— after getting through this year, of course — she says that she
wants complete her third and fourth years at a Centers for
Osteopathic Research Education hospital in Cleveland. She would
love to spend those years there because it is close to family.
“The opportunities in Ohio are
huge. If osteopathic medicine is what you want to do, OU-COM
holds great possibilities for you. You really have to want this
and really have the passion to not only be a successful medical
student but to become the best osteopathic physician you can
be.”
News for the week of Nov. 15 – Nov. 20
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