Meet Some Ross Medical School Students
Shane Fisher, class of 2010, is training to be a family practice physician at Ross University School of Medicine. Shane learned about Ross from Dr. Brandon Mitchell ‘06, who inspired him with his story of finding great satisfaction and success in both his career and family life after completing his medical education at Ross.
“As a recent graduate in his first year of residency, he really encouraged me to strive to do my best and not get discouraged,” Shane said. “He helped me believe that I could be successful, not only in school but also as I lead and support my family.”
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Family First
As a husband and father of two girls (with another on the way), knowing that he could bring his family with him to Dominica was very important to Shane.
"I would not have attended Ross if my family was unable to accompany me to Dominica," he said. "Having a school for the kids was the biggest concern for us. It was very comforting to know that they have a preparatory school on campus that follows U.S. standards."
Growing up in a military family that moved around so much that he considers the "whole country" to be his home state, Shane had difficulty getting accepted into U.S. medical schools.
"I grew up in the military and enlisted in the Air Force later on," he said. "It's pretty hard to get accepted into a state-side medical school when you don't have a home state. The policy many U.S. medical schools employ to only take state residents really hindered my application process. Ross gives students the opportunity to go to medical school no matter what state or country they are a resident in."
Hands-On Training
No stranger to multitasking, Shane credits Ross with helping him perfect his time management skills. "Attending medical school is unlike any other challenge I've had in my life. As an active duty airman, husband, father, full-time student and community volunteer I've learned a lot about time management at Ross," he said. "This program is accelerated and I've really had to learn how to fine-tune my study skills and how to completely devote myself to the program. My first semester was particularly challenging, but when I passed that initial step of medical school I felt validated. I knew I could succeed."
He continued, "The amount of hands-on work with patients I've been able to do at Ross has been great. I've been to Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau, where I observed medical procedures such as echocardiograms. I like the diversity of the faculty and student population. I've made some great friends here. The families at Ross are a tight-knit community. We do stuff together and help each other out. My study partners have really pushed me to be better. We are able to encourage each other's learning by challenging one another in a competitive, humorous and unpretentious atmosphere."
One of the most beneficial aspects of his education at Ross so far has been Advanced Introduction to Clinical Medicine (AICM), he noted. "AICM is a special course we take during our fifth semester. It gives us the opportunity to be clinically oriented before going into our rotations and allows us to integrate our knowledge with real patients in real situations before entering our third and fourth year rotations," he explained.
Extracurricular Activities
An active member of the student body, Shane has participated in intramural sports, worked as an emergency medical technician (EMT) on campus, and served on the Ross Welcoming Committee.
"I enjoyed greeting new students as they arrived on the island, showing them around campus and answering their questions about student life. I liked helping people maintain a positive outlook by helping them with their transition," he said.
According to Shane, Ross' location in Dominica offers students the opportunity to integrate into a different culture which he thinks is an "invaluable" part of his medical education.
Life After Ross
"My ultimate goal after graduating is to become a family practice physician, but I would also like to do some humanitarian work in my career and the experience of living here has definitely helped prepare me for that," he said.
Shane noted that his decision to take the next step and become a physician was based on a desire to "do more."
"Having a career in medicine is something I have always wanted to do. I started as a certified nurse assistant and worked as a drug tester and psychiatric technician before joining the military to become an EMT and then a field medic. My experience working as a medic made me realize that I wanted to do more to help people than the scope of an EMT's training allowed me to do. Ross really gave me the opportunity I was looking for."
Family First
As a husband and father of two girls (with another on the way), knowing that he could bring his family with him to Dominica was very important to Shane.
"I would not have attended Ross if my family was unable to accompany me to Dominica," he said. "Having a school for the kids was the biggest concern for us. It was very comforting to know that they have a preparatory school on campus that follows U.S. standards."
Growing up in a military family that moved around so much that he considers the "whole country" to be his home state, Shane had difficulty getting accepted into U.S. medical schools.
"I grew up in the military and enlisted in the Air Force later on," he said. "It's pretty hard to get accepted into a state-side medical school when you don't have a home state. The policy many U.S. medical schools employ to only take state residents really hindered my application process. Ross gives students the opportunity to go to medical school no matter what state or country they are a resident in."
Hands-On Training
No stranger to multitasking, Shane credits Ross with helping him perfect his time management skills. "Attending medical school is unlike any other challenge I've had in my life. As an active duty airman, husband, father, full-time student and community volunteer I've learned a lot about time management at Ross," he said. "This program is accelerated and I've really had to learn how to fine-tune my study skills and how to completely devote myself to the program. My first semester was particularly challenging, but when I passed that initial step of medical school I felt validated. I knew I could succeed."
He continued, "The amount of hands-on work with patients I've been able to do at Ross has been great. I've been to Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau, where I observed medical procedures such as echocardiograms. I like the diversity of the faculty and student population. I've made some great friends here. The families at Ross are a tight-knit community. We do stuff together and help each other out. My study partners have really pushed me to be better. We are able to encourage each other's learning by challenging one another in a competitive, humorous and unpretentious atmosphere."
One of the most beneficial aspects of his education at Ross so far has been Advanced Introduction to Clinical Medicine (AICM), he noted. "AICM is a special course we take during our fifth semester. It gives us the opportunity to be clinically oriented before going into our rotations and allows us to integrate our knowledge with real patients in real situations before entering our third and fourth year rotations," he explained.
Extracurricular Activities
An active member of the student body, Shane has participated in intramural sports, worked as an emergency medical technician (EMT) on campus, and served on the Ross Welcoming Committee.
"I enjoyed greeting new students as they arrived on the island, showing them around campus and answering their questions about student life. I liked helping people maintain a positive outlook by helping them with their transition," he said.
According to Shane, Ross' location in Dominica offers students the opportunity to integrate into a different culture which he thinks is an "invaluable" part of his medical education.
Life After Ross
"My ultimate goal after graduating is to become a family practice physician, but I would also like to do some humanitarian work in my career and the experience of living here has definitely helped prepare me for that," he said.
Shane noted that his decision to take the next step and become a physician was based on a desire to "do more."
"Having a career in medicine is something I have always wanted to do. I started as a certified nurse assistant and worked as a drug tester and psychiatric technician before joining the military to become an EMT and then a field medic. My experience working as a medic made me realize that I wanted to do more to help people than the scope of an EMT's training allowed me to do. Ross really gave me the opportunity I was looking for."
Francis Tran, class of 2012, chose Ross University because of its strong reputation and because of the outstanding track record of its alumni.
“Ross is the best Caribbean medical school that I know of. Previous alums have shown that they can hold high positions in administration and/or clinical departments and that really inspired me,” he said.
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Although he is not sure what area of medicine he wants to specialize in yet, Francis stressed that he is training to become the kind of physician who treats each patient as an individual and not as a "set of numbers on a chart." He noted that the individual attention he has received at Ross from his professors has set a positive example for him in this area.
"I've never felt like a number at Ross," he said. "The School values the human aspect of medicine and not just your academic scores. Ross understands that, although academics are very important, there's more to being a good physician than just scholastic success."
Pursuing a Vocation
Born in Vietnam, Francis emigrated to the U.S. 18 years ago and feels that being exposed to different cultures is an important part of medical training.
"I believe that Ross offers a challenge not faced by those attending medical school in the U.S.," he said. "Coming to a foreign country and simultaneously attending medical school really tests a person's desire to become a physician. Medical school itself is not easy, but the additional factor of being in a new and unfamiliar environment makes this task even more difficult. Students who graduate from Ross really love medicine. This is not just a job for us, but a vocation."
He noted that Ross makes every effort to ensure that each incoming student is quickly acclimated to life in Dominica. "Within minutes of arriving I was greeted by upper classmen and Ross personnel who helped me get situated in this new and unfamiliar environment as quickly as possible," he said. "All the students are very helpful towards one another both academically and personally."
Broad Age Range
According to Francis, one of the aspects that he likes best about Ross is the broad age range of its students.
"I really like that the age range is much wider than that of many medical schools in the U.S. It allows for a multitude of experiences that enriches the education of every student," he said. "Older, non-traditional students have more life experiences that can be shared with younger students. They have more than just book knowledge; they have real life experiences to accompany their newly attained medical education, which serves as an asset when dealing with patients in a clinical setting."
Prior to coming to Ross, Francis received a bachelor of science in biochemistry and a master's of science degree in cell, molecular and developmental biology from the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside). He also worked with a team at UC Riverside researching new methods to enhance the culturing of mouse embryonic stem cells. His thesis was patented and the data from it is currently being applied to human embryonic stem cells to determine whether similar results can be obtained.
A Desire to Succeed
Francis initially decided to become a physician because of his love for biology, which eventually grew into a desire to help improve the lives of others.
"I have known that I wanted to be a physician ever since high school, but truthfully it wasn't until I came to Ross that I fully realized that this indeed was my calling. Everyone knows how difficult medical school is, but until you experience it firsthand you can't realize that you really have to love it and want it to stick with it in order to succeed."
After graduating from Ross, Francis hopes to obtain a top-notch residency and then "use the knowledge obtained from Ross and my residency to alleviate the pain and suffering of my patients to the best of my ability."
