‘People at Wartburg are here for me no matter the hour’
NAME: Marin Stowe
CLASS YEAR: 2023
HOMETOWN: La Valle, Wis.
MAJOR: Biology
CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT: Alpha Chi, Phi Eta Sigma, Tri Beta, Supplemental Instructor, Tutor, Orientation Leader, IgKnight Mentor
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE WARTBURG: My parents both went to Wartburg, so it was always on my radar. I heard about the fantastic science program, and I fell in love with it. I love the small school dynamic, and I think Wartburg is very unique in all the leadership positions that are offered. I just felt at home when I came to campus.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BIOLOGY: I was always interested in the sciences, and I did a lot of shadowing in high school. I did phlebotomy work in high school, so I got to get experience drawing blood. I loved the idea of helping people with medicine and science, and I’m passionate about it. I thought Wartburg was the best option for me with the small school, as it is easy to build relationships with professors, and Wartburg was known for its strong STEM programs. It was a really good fit for my goals and my personality.
WHAT DROVE YOU TO WANT TO BECOME A PHYSICIAN: Throughout my first and second year here at Wartburg I debated on whether I wanted to do pre-nursing or pre-med, but either way I went, I would get to be in the medical field. I got the opportunity to volunteer in the emergency department at Waverly Health Center as an underclassman, and I was really inspired by the doctors there and thought it was something I could do, which then led me to pre-med. A lot of doors would open up being pre-med, like doing nonprofit work, which is something I am really interested in doing. I liked the scientific process of discovering new things, but I also love people. That kind of helped me solidify my decision that being a physician was the correct choice.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS: Anatomy and Physiology was so interesting to me. I was going through those two courses while I was studying for the MCAT and applying to med school, and so those courses helped ground me. Those courses reminded me why I am doing this career path, because the application process is so long and tedious. It was cool to go to class every day and learn about the human body and ground myself and come back to my “why.” I am a supplemental instruction leader for those two courses now, so it feels very full circle. I get to help other people find the joy in the human body. The cadaver lab also is a highlight for me. I am participating in that this year, and it is a cool opportunity that is really unique to Wartburg.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER GRADUATION: I was accepted into the Medical College of Wisconsin-Central Wisconsin, which is an accelerated program for my M.D. I will get done in three years instead of four. It is focused on rural care and addresses the physician shortages in small towns, like my hometown of 700 people. I am really passionate about underserved areas, and there is a large physician shortage right now in rural areas. This campus focuses on primary care, which mainly includes family medicine, general surgery, and pediatrics. I will go through three years of that, and then go apply to residency. For that, I am leaning toward surgery. Surgery was never on the table for me until the cadaver lab. After the cadaver lab, I felt so passionate and inspired by surgery. It is truly a beautiful thing being able to fix someone’s issue right away, and it is just amazing.
WHAT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HAVE YOU DONE: The undergraduate research opportunities at Wartburg are huge. I was published as an undergraduate student with Dr. Sean Coleman. Together, we were annotating the genome of different bacteriophages. Basically, there is a bad antibiotic resistance crisis. A lot of these bacteria are infecting people, and they are not responding to the drugs that we have previously given them. There is a new area of research that uses viruses to treat the bacteria. Instead of antibiotics, we use viruses. One of the biggest struggles with that is figuring out which virus to use. There are billions of viruses in existence! We annotated the genome of a bacteria phage called “Peel.” That was published out into the scientific community and hopefully can be used for research in that area of medicine. It felt great to be a part of something that could one day be used to help somebody.
WHAT OTHER RESOURCES HAVE AIDED YOUR JOURNEY: I think a lot of the STEM clubs here are worth it. I am a part of the Chemistry Club and Tri Beta. Tri Beta is an organization that brings in different speakers in all areas of the medical field, and that has been very valuable for Wartburg students. The SI (Supplemental Instruction) program is also a really great opportunity, and my success has been largely due to the SI’s for my courses as an underclassman. The ability to do it all is unique to Wartburg.
WHAT WAS A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR JOURNEY TO MEDICAL SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE: Getting accepted into medical school for sure. But also, the support I saw during the application process. I was second guessing myself during the application process, and I reached out to Derek Solheim, and I asked for help revising my resume. I sent it to him, and a few hours later, way past business hours, he sent it back to me with some edits assuring me that I was ready to submit it to the application cycle. That was a huge thing that he did for me, but that moment was more of a realization that all these people at Wartburg are here for me no matter the hour. These people are here for me to help me through the process. Every single professor I’ve had has supported me, but Dr. Coleman in particular has been amazing. He really helped me believe in myself that I could go through the process. Additionally, Dr. Brian McQueen also was phenomenal in helping me with the process. He has connected me with so many alumni who now attend medical school and other people in the field. The more that I progress through Wartburg, the more I appreciate community and the network of people that support me. Without that, I think I would’ve gotten lost in the process of applying to medical school.
HOW HAVE YOU GROWN IN YOUR FIELD AND AS A PERSON: I never thought that I could be the one leading an SI session or helping others learn. I think there is sometimes a large amount of imposter syndrome in the STEM field. I remember as a first-year looking up to the fourth-years and thinking that they had everything figured out. Seeing myself being able to fulfill those roles has been incredible. I feel like my leadership skills have really grown. I would never dream of getting up in the front of the room and teaching people about the human body. It’s so crazy to me to see how much I grew as a leader and in my communication skills.
IN WHAT OTHER WAYS HAVE YOU BEEN SHOWN COMMUNITY AT WARTBURG: Being a part of Orientation Staff gave me a different perspective on the Wartburg community. Seeing everyone come together to welcome the new classes in every year and seeing the first-years around campus thrive, especially in the science departments, makes me so happy. When I’m walking down the hallway, I can say hi to every single person I see and know them. The small community is amazing. Additionally, I think whenever someone gets accepted into professional school, everyone congratulates them. The day after I got accepted to MCW, I got emails from multiple faculty and staff congratulating me. It’s a big deal when someone goes on to the next step in STEM, and everyone is happy for everyone else. It not a competition, it’s a celebration. I think a strong support system is super important when you are going through programs like the biology program because there are going to be classes that are difficult.
WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE WARTBURG MEMORIES: Every single May Term. I love May Term! Last May Term I played sand volleyball with my roommates and other friends two nights a week, and it was so fun to spend time together. Everything about May Term is just great.
ANYTHING ELSE: Overall, especially academically, Wartburg has a culture of excellence. The professors here expect a lot out of you, but they put you in an environment where you can achieve that and be successful. Don’t limit yourself in any way — reach for the stars.