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Medical student is happiest in rural settingAgain this year, New Ulm Medical Center is hosting a medical student through the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP). Andrea Zeug, a third year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School will do rounds in almost all specialties at the medical center over the next nine months. Zeug completed her undergraduate education at Washington University in St. Louis. Zeug is no stranger to the area, having grown up in Redwood Falls. Her parents and grandparents are still there. “Since I was five years old I’ve known that I wanted to be a doctor,” Zeug said. As a child, she was in and out of hospitals with lymphangioma (benign tumors in the lymphatic system). “I spent a lot of time at Children’s Hospital and that experience really influenced me.” Rather than being frightened of these trips to the big hospital and the surgeries that she endured, Zeug was fascinated by her surroundings and appreciative of the care she received. There was one doctor in particular, she recalled, who went out of his way with his young patients to entertain and put them at ease. “Seeing how much heart he put into caring for children really inspired me,” Zeug said. Zeug had found her calling. Seeing the fusion of the human aspect of medicine and the scientific component, Zeug felt it was a good fit for her personality. “Plus, you get to be kind of a detective and I really enjoy that.” Zeug is planning to specialize in pediatrics, but hasn’t decided whether to specialize further in that field or not. “I really like small-town life and am seriously considering a small town practice. You have to be more of a generalist to be at a smaller facility,” she said. “One of the reasons I chose to come to New Ulm Medical Center is I really miss the continuity of care that you get in a smaller community,” Zeug said. “In the bigger facilities you just get a snapshot of a patient. In a smaller facility, you see them in the clinic when they are feeling well, you see them in the hospital when they aren’t feeling well and you get to follow up with them again later. You get to know your patients on a personal level.” Her small-town upbringing also has a lot to do with her participation in the RPAP program. “I like the small-town aspect. There is something comforting to me about a cornfield,” Zeug joked. Although Zeug admits medical school doesn’t allow for a lot of free time, when she does get the time, she enjoys dabbling in stained glass. She also likes to cook. Although, she said, “My mom is a fantastic baker and my brother is a gourmet chef, so I have big shoes to fill!” During the next eight months at NUMC, Zeug will get first-hand experience in pediatrics as well as family medicine, general surgery and orthopedic surgery. |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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