"My decision to attend Concordia was based on a variety of factors, but the single most important one to me was the successful and well-orchestrated pre-medicine program."

-John Lichtsinn '06

Future Doctor
By John Lichtsinn '06

My decision to attend Concordia was based on a variety of factors, but the single most important one to me was the successful and well-orchestrated pre-medicine program. Of all the schools I considered, Concordia was the clear winner.

I recently graduated with a biology major and chemistry minor - on the premed track and ready for medical school at the University of Minnesota, where I will start in August. In addition to all of my coursework and the exhausting process of applying to medical schools, I had the opportunity to research in the biology department and participate in a cooperative education experience at local hospitals and a nursing home.

The summer following my sophomore year, another student and I did research under the direction of biology professor Dr. Ivan Johnson. The topic of our research was the plasticity of the circadian rhythms of the Richardson's ground squirrel. In short, we charted daily changes the squirrels' metabolic rhythms and tried various methods of interrupting or changing these regular rhythms. Study of metabolic cycles is very important to human medicine. For example, the body responds differently to medications or chemotherapy very differently depending upon the hour of day they are administered. This was an excellent chance for me to gain research experience and contribute to medical science.

During my co-op following my junior year, I shadowed several doctors and specialists in the Fargo-Moorhead area. This firsthand look at the medical world brought my textbooks to life and added to my drive to become a doctor. There is simply no better experience for an aspiring doctor than to see the profession in the most direct manner possible.