甜蜜的家

在底特律与一名小学生的偶遇可能是这个年轻人记忆中的一个小插曲, but for Nicholas Kondoleon, M.D., it was life-changing.

的原因?

Before the member of OUWB’s Class of 2020 even started medical school, 这次互动让康多伦看到了医生在社区中可以产生的影响.

它帮助他做出了成为一名医生的决定——他在克利夫兰诊所基金会的内科住院医师实习期即将结束, 并将于7月1日回归，在皇家橡树的科雷威尔健康威廉博蒙特大学医院担任心脏病学研究员.

直到今天, 说Kondoleon, 他经常想起自己曾经帮助给小男孩和他的母亲送去急需的医疗保健和冬衣.

“那次经历让我印象深刻，让我知道我们作为医生是多么有影响力,他说.

‘The breadth of what you can do’

Kondoleon grew up in Troy, Michigan, where he attended Troy High School. He took Advanced Placement classes, 爱运动, was a member of the National Honor Society, and volunteered with his church and others.

他将继续在密歇根大学获得生物学学士学位.

成为一名医生的想法出现在他在密歇根大学的第二年和第三年之间.

“我最终在底特律市中心的一家机构工作，这家机构是由亨利·福特医疗系统的一位医生经营的。,Kondoleon说. “他把两辆房车改造成了移动诊所……把内部拆了下来，装进了检查室, and would drive from school-to-school, 社区中心, 等等......, and provide care to kids.”

Kondoleon说，这段经历向他展示了“作为一名医生，你能做的事情的广度，以及你对社区的影响。.”

One day in the middle of winter, 例如, 一个年轻的病人来到诊所，正在检查他是否患有哮喘，以便他能得到他需要的吸入器治疗. Because it was cold, the clinic also was giving out winter jackets.

“母亲来到诊所，开始大喊大叫，因为他们没有资源获得所需的外套或护理……诊所是一个安全网，让他们确信自己会没事的。,Kondoleon说.

这使他认识到从事医学工作的可能性.

他开始在医院里做志愿者，帮助别人，并更多地了解医学的不同领域.

在密歇根大学的第三年结束时，他正式宣布:Kondoleon想成为一名医生.

‘Opportunities are basically endless’

对Kondoleon来说，OUWB最吸引人的一点是它离他所谓的家很近.

But there was an even bigger reason.

“面试日有很多关于社区的讨论——你可能在很多地方都能听到——但在公开商学院, 这是真的,他说. “It’s not something that they’re trying to sell you on. They truly care about the applicants, 学生们……他们真正关心的是体验和围绕学校建立社区.”

他补充道:“在OUWB学习期间，我仍然有一些朋友，这些朋友将陪伴我一生。.

He also had plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Kondoleon was on the executive board for the ophthalmology student interest group. As part of the med-peds student interest group, Kondoleon also helped run a holiday gift drive for community members in December.

Between second and third years, 他花了一个夏天在宾夕法尼亚大学的麻醉教育和研究基金会(FAER)作为FAER研究员.

He also volunteered frequently at the Gary Burnstein 社区 Health Clinic, 在那里，开放大学的学生为社区成员协调和经营学生经营的免费诊所.

“The opportunities are basically endless,他说. “即使没有机会，也有机会去创造你想要的东西.”

But for all of the opportunities at OUWB, 一场全球大流行给大多数事情带来了严重的限制，因为康多伦和其他2020届OUWB毕业生正准备毕业.

‘Thrown into the fire’

The first big impact to the OUWB Class of 2020 was early that same year, when they were taken out of clerkships in early March.

The in-person Match Day celebration had to be cancelled, as was commencement.

“我们从把所有的时间都花在同学身上，变成了孤立，看不到任何人,Kondoleon说. “感觉就像在第四年承认我们结束了并没有什么困难……只是‘好吧’。, 我们去工作吧.’”

Having matched at Cleveland Clinic, Kondoleon says he started at a chaotic time. Regular nursing floors, 例如, had been transitioned to COVID-19 units. 克利夫兰诊所主校区对面的一栋教育大楼也被改造为治疗COVID-19患者.

Additionally, there was a huge learning curve for everyone about the virus.

Kondoleon says new physicians like himself did what they could to help, and “roll with whatever is going on.”

“Because there was a lot of COVID, 我们的第一次经验被扔进了火里……帮助解决人员配备和覆盖问题以及其他所有正在发生的事情,Kondoleon说.

After about 18 months, a sense of normal had returned.

Kondoleon says he’s grateful for his residency at Cleveland Clinic.

“It’s been great,他说. “I’ve had an amazing experience. It’s a tertiary center so we get referrals from all around the world. 我在医学院的时候看到过一些在课本上读到的病人，并有机会成为照顾他们的团队的一员.”

展望未来

在12月, 威廉博蒙特大学科雷威尔健康医院在社交媒体上发布了一条消息，祝贺其2026届心脏病学研究员.

Kondoleon was one of the four.

“I’m super excited,他说. “这是一个完整的循环……我在博蒙特的内科轮转期间被说服去做内科和心脏病学, and now I’m heading back there for fellowship and to train for three years.”

Kondoleon说，他相信该部门的文化是“无与伦比的”，他们“真正关心研究员和教育”.”

这是Kondoleon最近的一项有意义的职业，这项职业可以直接追溯到他在一辆改装的房车里帮助这位年轻病人和他的母亲的那一天.

“作为一名医生，最有价值的部分是有能力和祝福花时间与病人建立关系，让他们在最脆弱的时候信任你。,他说.

“And it’s not just for one moment, but even when they leave the hospital and you see them in an outpatient setting. Those lifelong relationships are what I enjoy most.”