Benjamin Madigan '19

Ben_M.

Name: Benjamin Madigan 

Graduation Year: 2019

Major: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Chemistry


Your Story: Transitioning from high school to college was a very conservative time in my life. I was looking for adventure, to try some new things, so I moved six hours west of my hometown (Kohler, WI) to Gustavus. Unfortunately, going to a new place doesn’t necessarily bring on new experiences. I started college on the soccer team, studying my life away in Nobel hall, not reaching for the new, exciting experiences I was craving. In other words, I made a flat, lackluster transition by extending my highschool life to college.

Sophomore year, I jumped headlong into the semester like a bull in a china shop. I joined the track team and a brand new fraternity, started volunteering at the Catholic church, tried my hand at research in analytical chemistry, got a tutoring job in the chemistry department, and made a TON of new friends. I still didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do professionally (apart from that it needed to involve science), but I knew I was making progress by putting myself out there.

By my senior year, I had discovered the direction I wanted to take my life. I had a wealth of basic research experiences at Gustavus and the Ohio State University, I had earned my EMT license, and I had spent some time volunteering in a number of different places. I knew that I wanted to think critically like I did in the lab, but I needed to see the direct impact it was having on people. From the hodgepodge of experiences that Gustavus offered me, I extracted this unwavering passion to serve people as a physician. And more importantly, I knew I had been touched by the lives of my Gustavus family who helped me discover this passion.

Top Five Activities/Experiences: (in no particular order)

  1. Cross country and track athlete
  2. Emergency medical technician (EMT) training
  3. Research in the Stoll analytical chemistry lab
  4. Volunteer in Antigua, Guatemala
  5. Sunday School teacher at John Ireland Catholic Church

Advice:

1. Try as many things as you can early on. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, even if you’re not sure whether you will like it or be able to do it. Most activities have a very low commitment level at first, and you can always become more involved once you know that you like it. When you do find things you’re passionate about, immerse yourself and leave the less enjoyable things behind.

2. Do some research! Academic learning is something I think everyone should experience, because it is an awesome way to practice deep, critical thinking. This is a great way to prepare yourself for the challenges of any profession.

3. STRICTLY MEDICAL ADVICE: Get a license (CNA, EMT) that allows you to work with patients. Until I actually started taking care of people, I felt like it was impossible to know what I wanted to do with my life. This completely changed my perspective on the role of a physician and the kind of place I would like to practice.

Future Plans: Attedning Des Moines University (DMU) College of Osteopathic Medicine, starting Fall 2020. Currently, anesthesiology is my top specialty choice, but there are a lot of unique experiences awaiting me that might change my mind.

 3/27/2020 HB