What do cold hands, long shifts, and a deep love for biology have in common? For this Mercer nursing student, they’re all part of a bigger mission. From shadowing a CRNA to leading research on Raynaud’s disease, his journey is anything but typical. In this spotlight, he shares how personal experience sparked a passion for medicine—and how he’s working toward a future where others don’t have to suffer in silence.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re studying at Mercer and what drew you to premed?
I am currently in the BSN program at Mercer, and my end goal is to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. I have always been fascinated by how complex our bodies are, along with an appreciation for just living beings in general. My favorite subject in high school was biology, so I pursued it more in college, taking plant biology, microbiology, and marine biology. Then, during my second semester, I shadowed a CRNA at North Atlanta Vascular Hospital. She showed me how her days went, and it really seemed like something I wanted to do.
You’ve been involved in a lot of research—what kind of projects or topics have you been most passionate about?
My first research project was on how carbon levels influence plant growth, and this blossomed my love for the scientific method. It is at the root of any research, and I currently use it daily for my research on Raynaud’s disease.
How has your experience with Raynaud’s influenced your academic or research interests?
I always wondered why there are treatments for numerous diseases, but never heard of one for Raynaud’s disease. I have had it all my life, but never really noticed it until I started playing for the soccer team in high school. The season started in the winter, and I noticed my feet would become pale white or even blue in some cases. My mom realized I had Raynaud’s, which her father had been diagnosed with several decades ago. This eventually led me to seek a solution, so I wrote a proposal, which GSU was glad to invest in.
What’s it like volunteering at the hospital while also being a student? Any moments that stuck with you?
I won’t lie; at times I have really wanted to quit. The days are long, you’re always on your feet, and it is such a chaotic environment. What makes up for it is seeing a patient you have been helping for weeks walk out and thank you for everything you have done. It is a type of fulfillment that I believe no other career can offer. I remember a man who on initial admission, could not walk, but weeks went by he gained his strength and walked out on his own. He then came back months later just to see everyone again, which really showed how much of an impact we had on his life.
What does a typical week look like for you balancing school, research, and hospital work?
My weeks are the busiest they have ever been. On Monday and Wednesday, I have classes from the morning till the afternoon and then I will typically go to the gym and get a good dinner in before bed. Tuesdays I go to Grady Hospital. I am on the oncology unit and we see a lot of sickle cell patients along with cancer. Then, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I spend about 6 hours at GSU’s research science center with the head professor and about a dozen students. I am in charge of delegation and what goals need to be met.
Who or what has been your biggest motivator on this path toward medicine?
My mom always encouraged me to go to the hospital with her during highschool just to see if it was a field I would be interested in and if it was not for her I would most likely have ended up in computer science.
How do you stay grounded or take care of yourself during such a demanding schedule?
Balance is the key to anything in life. You can not be putting all your focus and time into one thing; there needs to be time for leisure and peace. I find the gym to be a place of peace for me. It is somewhere I can just listen to music and get my head straight. I also like to play video games with my friends in the evening, sometimes longer than I should, but I am having fun, so I lose track of time.
Looking ahead, what kind of doctor do you hope to be—or what impact do you want to have in healthcare?
I really want to finish developing my drug for Raynaud’s. It is like NyQuil in the same sense that NyQuil is a mixture of drugs to reach its therapeutic effect. The drug I am developing at GSU is a mixture of calcium channel blockers, antihypertensives, and vasodilators. I want this to become a solution for those who have the same struggle as me, such as always having cold hands and feet, and this drug has shown very promising results. I do still wish to become a CRNA as it gives me a lot of autonomy along with the same fulfillment RN’s would feel.
