Soccer Champ Receives Medical Degree from Ross University   Dr. Maggie Tomecka received her medical degree from Ross University at a graduation ceremony held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 6, 2008. But becoming a physician is only one of Dr. Tomecka’s many accomplishments—she also just happens to be a two-time NCAA soccer champion, and is no stranger to multitasking.   Dr. Tomecka immigrated to the United States from Poland when she was just two years old. Her parents were huge soccer fans, but in Poland girls didn’t play soccer. As the family settled in Massachusetts, Dr. Tomecka’s father was thrilled to learn that girls do play soccer in the United States and signed his daughters up to join the local team as soon as they were old enough. Dr. Tomecka started playing when she was six and hasn’t stopped since. She went on to become a stand-out midfield player and earned a full soccer scholarship to The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Her dedication to the sport and hard work paid off when the team won the coveted NCAA championship in Dr. Tomecka’s freshman and senior years. As senior captain, she led her team to an undefeated season, 27-0-0, the best record of any team in women’s college soccer history.       In addition to her soccer aspirations, Dr. Tomecka always wanted to be a physician. She was a pre-med major at UNC and was thrilled to get the opportunity to study at Ross, where she also served as the president of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), which gave her unique clinical experience.   “In addition to getting an excellent education at Ross, I had the chance to spend time volunteering with the Dominican community, which was great,” said Dr. Tomecka. “AMSA ran local clinics for the community where we would do blood pressure checks, screen for diabetes and hyperlipidemia, conduct body fat testing, and educate the community about various health issues. Many of the local people do not see a doctor on a regular basis, so reaching out to them in this way was incredibly rewarding.”   While in Dominica, Dr. Tomecka also managed to squeeze in time for her favorite game. Every Friday after classes a group of Ross students would play a pick-up soccer game, and once a semester they would organize a game for the Ross “team” against a local Dominican team in Portsmouth. It also drew quite a crowd—nearly 1,000 spectators would typically come to cheer on the teams. Dr. Tomecka was the only woman to play in these games.     Dr. Tomecka is taking some time away from medicine to play in a new professional women’s soccer league starting in the United States called the WPS. Eventually, when she is ready to hang up her cleats, she plans to pursue a career in anesthesia. In the off season, Dr. Tomecka will be working at UNC hospitals with the anesthesia department to make that dream a reality.      And even though her schedule is very demanding, Dr. Tomecka is still able to play soccer in an amateur league with the New York Athletic Club. Apparently, she brought her talent, well-honed skills, and knack for winning to this team too—it recently won the national championship in Seattle.