Nicole Dodge lives in Buffalo, NY and graduated in the class of 2007.  Her favorite high school memories include attending homecoming events and being involved in the arts. She attended the University of Rochester as an undergrad majoring in Biology, then later attended the University at Buffalo medical school.

Nicole is currently a fourth year medical student. She will soon begin a residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in urology, which is a surgeon who specializes in treating problems with the bladder and pelvic floor. What she finds rewarding about being a medical student is that she gets to see the results of her hard work and form relationships with others. Nicole has also found plenty of challenges, including time management, lack of sleep, stress, and worrying about potential job opportunities.

When asked to give advice to younger students, Nicole said students considering the medical field should want to do it to help others:  “Don’t become a doctor for the prestige, money, or because you want to see ‘MD’ after your name, but because you can’t imagine yourself doing anything but taking care of patients.”  She also suggests that that they should find opportunities to job shadow medical professionals and even find a job or volunteer at a hospital.   She describes the path to becoming a doctor as challenging but also rewarding and achievable!