the doctors
are in
As CMU's new College of Medicine opens its doors
this fall, 64 students hold the key to beginning to
combat Michigan's impending doctor shortage.
Kathryn Brandell, '12, knew
since she was young that she
wanted to become a doctor.
But it wasn't until a CMU
spring break volunteering
trip to Belize in 2010 that her
mission became fully clear.
"We set up health clinics,
screening for diabetes,
which is one of the leading
causes of death in Belize,"
says Brandell, who earned
her undergraduate degree
in biomedical sciences at
CMU. "I was touched by the
sheer difference between
health care in the U.S. and
Belize – it was really an
eye-opening experience.
And it kind of flipped a
switch in my brain."
In many ways, Brandell,
a born-and-raised
Michigander, is typical
of her cohort of the
inaugural class of 64
students enrolled at CMU's
College of Medicine. Since
the college's inception,
founders have had an
eye toward combating
a predicted shortage
of doctors in rural and
underserved areas.
TEXT By Cynthia J. Drake, M.A. '08
Photographs by Steve Jessmore, '81
centralight fall '13
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