Sara Lee

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Anticipated specialty: Urology

What led you to a career in medicine?
I took a non-traditional path to medicine. In college, I studied ecology and evolutionary biology, and intended to pursue a doctorate in the field. Following graduation, I received a fellowship to research disease ecology in Salvador, Brazil, and moved there to work with the Yale School of Public Health and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz). There, I did fieldwork in the favelas of Salvador, studying pathogenic load of Leptospira (a bacteria that causes the disease leptospirosis, or Weil's disease) in the community's soil and water. I interacted with community members daily who thought I was a doctor due to the white lab coat I wore in the field. I found I wanted to be able to do work that was more impactful on human health and or conduct research that was more translational to healthcare. Back in the United States, I worked as an assistant in the Division of Women's Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital where I gained further skills in health advocacy, medical research, and interfaced with physician-scientists. These experiences molded my perspective on medicine as a field that health providers can and should engage in active patient advocacy, and helped me become the medical student I am today. 

How has your experience at Mayo Clinic prepared you for your future residency?
After these four years, I remain extremely grateful to have trained at Mayo Clinic for my medical school training. The components that drew me here for medical school (the collaboration, focus on patient care, cutting-edge research, and innovation) held true. In my pre-clinical coursework in Arizona, only professors who were deeply invested in teaching led us through the different topics, and provided interesting clinical insight into our preparation for the wards. Some of these professors are incredibly invested in medical education, and it was evident in their passion for teaching and asking for feedback on courses. In my transition to Florida, as part of the 2+2 program, I was exposed to a different patient population and hospital under the Mayo umbrella. This helped me gain skills in adaptation. Additionally, as part of a smaller cohort, I received focused attention to my growth as a future surgeon from mentors in various fields, who guided me in the operating room, in my research, and as part of my career development. 

Scott Anderson

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia
Anticipated specialty: General Surgery

What led you to a career in medicine?
Before college, I spent two years in Brazil as a church missionary. Every day, I spoke with complete strangers about their faith, their family and community, their hopes and fears, and the purpose of their life. From this experience, I developed a love for direct, personal service to others focused on the things that matter most. As I returned to the U.S., I felt inspired to pursue a career in medicine, which entails the same brand of meaningful service to other people and aligned with my scholastic interests.

How has your experience at Mayo Clinic prepared you for your future residency?
These have been four of the best years of my life. Mayo has prepared me well for residency clinically, but importantly, has also facilitated many opportunities for personal growth that have molded me into a more mature and thoughtful person. Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine experience has prepared me to take care of the whole patient, taking their social situation, emotional state, family needs, and physical health into consideration when given the opportunity to contribute to their care.

Ana Maria Aragon Sierra

Hometown: Mesa, AZ
Anticipated specialty: Dermatology

What led you to a career in medicine?
I grew up watching my mother be a pillar to the Hispanic community as a Spanish-speaking physician. She was my role model and inspiration to pursue a career in medicine and support our local community. I aspire to become a community dermatologist who maintains academic ties in order to connect patients to the resources, research, and experts they need and otherwise would not be able to access.

How has your experience at Mayo Clinic prepared you for your future residency?
Mayo Clinic has connected me to mentors who are passionate about serving the community and supported me in pursuing a master's degree in mass communications at Arizona State University. This background in communications will help me become a physician-leader who advocates for minority groups in dermatology and the community at large.

John Klyver

Hometown: Pacifica, CA
Anticipated specialty: Internal Medicine

What led you to a career in medicine?
My interest in medicine first started when I took an AP Biology course in high school. I realized how much I enjoyed learning about physiology. I loved most of the science courses I had at UC Davis during my undergraduate, and I thoroughly enjoyed shadowing physicians in Urgent Care and the Emergency Department. I appreciated the opportunity to work alongside individuals and families threatened by illness, to support them in a vulnerable time. When I also considered my love for problem-solving and my interest in physiology, medical school was the clear choice for me.

How has your experience at Mayo Clinic prepared you for your future residency?
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine provided me with an excellent education. I knew I was learning and growing, but I didn't realize just how well they had prepared me until I did an away rotation at a California hospital. I fit right in with the residents there, and I took nearly complete ownership of my patients. In addition, Mayo provided me with excellent opportunities to further my career beyond pure medical education. Their support and programs allowed me to attend law school at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in downtown Phoenix, an incredible opportunity that has opened many doors for me.

Quinn Johnson

Hometown: Roseville, MN
Planned specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery

What led you to a career in medicine?
I like to joke that I was a very injury-prone child and my frequent doctor visits are what led me to medicine. However, I have always felt a calling to the field from a young age. Medicine is a field in which you can help people in a very different way than other service-based careers. I was drawn to the deep, personal connections with the patients and the complex responsibility of taking care of people's physical and mental health. 

How has your experience at Mayo Clinic prepared you for your future residency?
I have been extremely blessed to get to complete my medical school training at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. Every day I was learning from experts in each field who are dedicated to educating the next generation of physicians. Given the small class sizes and the resources Mayo has to offer, I had endless educational experiences and was able to independently explore my interests. Not only did I develop an excellent infrastructure of medical knowledge and approach to the common conditions, I was also exposed to the "zebras" that Mayo Clinic is known for treating. Although residency will be difficult, I feel very prepared to tackle the challenge ahead.

Jeff Woods

Hometown: Bedford, Texas
Planned specialty: Psychiatry

What led you to a career in medicine?
When I was young, I was shy and tended to enjoy solitary activities, and I envisioned becoming a scientist. But as an undergraduate at Stanford, I felt drawn to community service work and through that work, I discovered how meaningful building healing interpersonal relationships is to me. I became interested in medicine, and additional volunteer work doing needle exchange for harm reduction further affirmed my interest in medicine.

My path to medicine was also inspired by a class I took as an undergrad on the Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu. The stories he told of sages whose utterly non-judgmental presence had the capacity to comfort, inspire, and make those who were sick, disabled, or shunned by society feel whole touched my soul. Those stories showed me the kind of doctor I want to become — a doctor who is able to make others feel safe, understood, and whole, regardless of background, life experience, or how the world might judge them.

How has your experience at Mayo Clinic prepared you for your future residency?
My experience at Mayo has prepared me very well for residency. Not only is the quality of education we receive exceptional, we also have many other opportunities to grow and prepare for residency. Med students gain exposure to specialties of interest early in our medical education through the selectives program. The program helped me find my desired career path. Mayo faculty are supportive and accessible, and I received outstanding, formative academic, career, and research mentorship. Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine also empowers students to lead. I grew as a leader by creating a street medicine elective, attending multiple conferences as a student leader and presenter, and serving in multiple local, regional, and national leadership roles.