About Tim

Hometown:
Canton, OH

University Partner:
Columbia University

Degree:
Biochemistry

Grant Partner:
Hospital for Special Surgery

Senior Mentor:
Dr. David Altchek

"In this ten week span, my desire to become a physician was simultaneously questioned, tested, and ultimately confirmed. Although I cannot say what discipline of medicine I will dedicate my life to, I am confident that I have learned lessons that I will be able to apply to the benefit of my future patients in whatever aspect I practice.”

Scholar Background

Tim’s desire to be an orthopedic surgeon grew out of the synthesis of his love of sports and his desire to serve others. Growing up in football-crazy Ohio, followed by his experiences on the Columbia Football Team, Tim has seen many athletes have their games, seasons, and even careers ended prematurely by orthopedic injuries. Tim spent over a year in the lab of Dr. John Hunt, conducting biochemical research on cystic fibrosis, in the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia. This research will soon be published in the American Journal of Protein Science. Additionally, Tim has spent time working at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, working with and enrolling patients in clinical studies in the Emergency Department. Beyond the lecture hall and gridiron, Tim is an active member of Columbia Football’s Community Outreach and Spiritual Committee; cooking meals for the homeless and conducting sports camps in the South Bronx. He has held multiple leadership positions in Sigma Chi Fraternity. In his limited spare time, Tim loves watching sports of all kinds, listening to music, and playing euchre, which brings a Midwestern flavor to life in New York.

Internship Description

During the summer of 2010, Tim met with patients, observed surgeries, and performed clinical research under the guidance of Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery.Tim worked extensively one-on-one with Dr. Altchek discussing patient presentation, MRI findings, surgical options, and surgical versus non-surgical treatment methods. Additionally, Tim conducted an independent research study involving a difficult to diagnose shoulder injury in overhead throwing athletes. Through his close working relationship with Dr. Altchek, Tim learned unparalleled lessons about the necessity of teamwork medicine and the lifestyle of a surgeon. 

Where are they now?

Tim graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from Columbia in May 2011 and recently had his cystic fibrosis research published in the scientific journal Protein Science. He will be starting his first year of medical school at The Ohio State College of Medicine in August 2011. He is unsure what area of medicine he wishes to pursue, but is highly attracted to the service-based aspects of medicine and hope to work one day with Doctors Without Borders. Despite his geographical distance from other Scholars, he remains close with the members of the Class of 2010. He grows more and more inspired by the accomplishments of his Steamboat classmates and is continually humbled to be counted among such a fantastic group.