Dustin Kreiner ’23, once struggled with school to the point he believed that college may not be in his future. But Dustin did a complete turnaround in his senior year of high school and discovered a love of learning.
According to Dustin, his personal interactions with doctors at the Cleveland Clinic who demonstrated leadership, knowledge, skills and a desire to help his family through a crucial time inspired him. Now on the Dean’s List, he is graduating from Walsh University with a bachelor's degree in biology, Pre-Med.
“I barely met the requirements to attend Walsh,” Dustin said. “I arrived on campus with a weak foundation, no study habits and low confidence in my academic abilities. I overcame these obstacles with dedication, talking with my instructors and working alongside accomplished students. In addition to discovering my life’s purpose in the medical field, I have acquired a multidisciplinary outlook at Walsh that allows me to see the world through many perspectives.”
Mentorship was the key to Dustin’s success as a student. His instructors guided him throughout his four years at Walsh and encouraged him to choose a field that he enjoys and gives him confidence. With positive reinforcement and by changing his concentration from chemistry to biology, he was able to participate in group research, tutor students in microbiology and he became an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), setting him up to be a formidable candidate for graduate school.
“Working as a tutor, I discovered that I enjoy teaching others and helping them achieve their goals,” he said. “This experience has also made me consider the possibility of working at a teaching hospital in the future as a physician, researcher and a teacher.”
Immediately after graduation, Dustin plans to take a gap year to work as an EMT, prepare for and take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), and then apply to MD/PhD programs to become a medical scientist.
