Student Spotlight: Matthew Howard

Here at SDSM&T we have a growing and thriving community of pre-health students. Today, we are shining a spotlight on Matthew Howard. Matt is a Mechanical Engineering major. Pre-Medicine has been his pathway here at SD Mines and he has been applying for various medical schools. (In fact, he just recently had his first interview!) We caught up with Matt to ask him about his pre-health journey and how he is preparing for a career in healthcare.

Have you done any shadowing yet? What did you learn from those experiences? 

I have shadowed several doctors over a wide range of specialties including a dermatologist, an orthopedic surgeon, a family practice physician, and a gastroenterologist. While there were considerable differences in the types of problems that each specialty faced, it was the similarities that most impressed me. One surgeon in particular that I shadowed made sure to emphasize that, no matter what specialty you are in, you have to be a doctor first and a specialist second. Those words have stayed with me as I have shadowed other doctors, and I have tried to pay special attention to the common themes that constitute being a doctor, such as genuinely caring for the overall well-being of the patient and treating them with respect and dignity.  

Have you done any research? 

I have not done any dedicated research, but I have worked on various design projects during my time here. I am currently on a multidiscipline senior design team that is working on developing a wearable, flexible array of strain sensors (based on polymer strain sensors developed by Dr. Zhu’s lab) that can be used to track a person’s hand movements. Research is definitely something that I am interested in doing in the future, and one of the primary criteria I looked for when choosing which schools to apply to was the available opportunities for research.

What kinds of volunteering do you do?

Most of the volunteering that I do is through my involvement with my church. I have taught AWANA classes (a children’s Bible study club), ushered, helped with Vacation Bible School (a summer church camp/class), served food, helped with setup/teardown of concerts, and more. I am also usually involved in one or more political campaigns every election cycle.

How did you prepare for taking the MCAT?

During the spring semester leading up to it (I took it in June) I watched some Khan Academy videos whenever I had some spare time. Once classes were done for the semester I spent about four weeks reading through some Kaplan prep books that I borrowed from a friend. For the final two weeks I did a full-length practice exam every other day and then reviewed them the next day.

What do you do when you aren’t studying?

I enjoy hiking, dirtbiking, mountain biking, and skiing. Anything to get outside and enjoy the Hills. I also enjoy reading, usually novels. 

How do you manage stress?

For me, the key to staying stress-free is staying organized and having a definite plan for how I am going to accomplish everything that I need to accomplish. 

What advice do you have for our freshman pre-health students?

Spend enough time in your chosen field to make sure that is where you want to spend your career, and don’t be afraid to switch up your path if you find something you enjoy doing more.