While stripping the Great Saphenous Vein

February 17, 2005

I've learned that the work load of a medical student is a lot to endure," says Blake Shockley, '02, "and it can become easy to forget the purpose. My faith is a constant reminder to me that I am not only here to help patients and to learn, but to also share Christ's love. My faith plays a large role in my decisions about my future in medicine. As in any other profession, physicians must find the balance between family, church, and work. And, as a future Christian physician, that balance weighs even heavier on my heart. In another sense, my faith reminds me that I am to share with others in tangible ways like volunteering at free clinics in the Oklahoma City area. I have a burden on my heart for medical mission work once I finish my education.

"I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, until the ninth grade. From Norman we moved to Tulsa, where I finished high school at Jenks High. My upbringing has played a large role. I have great parents who established a strong Christian background in me, and it is the basis on which I live my life today. They not only shared Christ with me, but they taught many more lessons. One of the greatest gifts my parents instilled in me was the great lesson of Jesus, that I should treat others exactly how I would want to be treated.

"The prestige of the OBU Science Department is certainly well known in Oklahoma, and in many other areas of the country.

"In deciding where to attend college I was looking for a university that would meet my spiritual needs as well as my academic pursuits. I heard from church members that OBU had an excellent science department. When I came to visit, I was impressed by the professors and the school as a whole. As a graduate, I can look back and see just how well OBU prepared me for medical school.

"I still remember Dr. Jett telling our class that if you can succeed at OBU in the science department you will succeed in medical school. The professors challenged me to think independently, and by the end of four years they wanted me to be a self-sufficient learner. Many of my classmates in medical school had never had the responsibility of learning on their own, and it made their transition to medical school much more difficult.

"In addition to the science department, OBU as a whole prepared me on how to think critically. Professors challenged me through Unified Studies courses and Western Civilization.

"A recent experience helped solidify this even more. One of my professors in medical school asked me where I went for undergraduate work while I was stripping the Great Saphenous Vein out of a patient. When I told him, he said he had been impressed with the medical students from OBU. The professor is one of the leading vascular surgeons in the area."

OBU prepares many students to enter medical school and succeed in the medical field. OBU Pre-med students have nearly a hundred percent passing rate in the MCAT and a high acceptance rate to the graduate program of their choice. Blake is a great example of how someone can shine at OBU.