Mason Schmitt (Class of 2024) Preceptorship Reflection
Mason Schmitt (Class of 2024) Preceptorship Reflection
As a premedical student at Miami, I was able to take advantage of the MWC preceptorship program and spend my 2023 spring break in Tulsa, OK with OB/GYN Dr. Paul Gehring and Dr. Gena Gray. I cannot express how thankful I am for this experience. It was truly an amazing, eye opening, and one-of-a-kind experience.
I have shadowed doctors in my hometown of Naperville, IL in a variety of specialties, but this was a completely different experience, in that it gave me a well-rounded understanding of the speciality and lifestyle that physicians in this field have. I was able to ask any questions that I had, and learn not only about a specialty that I originally had no interest in, but also about how this profession can impact your day-to-day life, as I was able to stay with the Gehrings.
Seeing the way that Dr. Gehring and Dr. Gray practiced medicine truly inspired me to keep my options open to what field of medicine I may want to pursue in the future, and it continues to fuel my passion. Not only was I able to witness the inner workings of an OB/GYN, Dr. Gehring and Dr. Gray were able to connect me with another physician in the area, Dr. Mark Mathers, who practiced plastic surgery, a field I have a lot of interest in. I didn’t expect to gain as much from this opportunity as I did, and am looking forward to potentially participating in another focusing on a different specialty.
The connections that these preceptorships create are extremely beneficial to students interested in medicine. They give our students a great advantage to learn more about the field of healthcare and learn more about what it really means to be a healthcare professional. The Mallory-Wilson Center continues to place approximately 80 students per year in medical school, and dozens more in other healthcare programs. This level of success can be attributed in no small part to providers like you who are willing to give students an in-depth healthcare experience. The experience truly helps students develop an understanding of the profession and makes them much more competitive during admissions interviews.