I cannot imagine pursuing a career in any other field

Dr. Laura WIlliams '07 - September 2020
"After graduating from Trinity in 2007 I went on to receive my Bachelor of Science from Loyola University Chicago, majoring in Biology with Honors.  Having initially been drawn to the biological sciences at Trinity, this interest expanded during my time at Loyola when I began the study of biological anthropology.  Though I had initially planned on applying to medical school, I found myself more interested in the anthropological side of human biology and I accepted a position in Loyola's human osteology research lab. In the lab I worked on sub-contracts for The Field Museum, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and even the FBI; yet, while identifying human remains was never boring, I often found my mind wandering back to the practice of medicine. Recalling my experiences participating in and leading medical missions to Honduras as an undergraduate student, my desire to serve through medicine grew. So after two years of managing the human osteology lab at Loyola, I applied to medical school.

In 2013 I started medical school at The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Medical school was rigorous to say the least, but I grew more in those four years than I had planned- professionally and personally.  I continued doing research (this time in orthopedics), took leadership positions, started doing political advocacy work in Washington DC, did mission work in Northern India, and eventually met my husband.
Throughout medical school I had planned on pursuing a residency in orthopedic surgery, but my path took another turn when I started my psychiatry rotation. My passion for mental healthcare bloomed and upon graduation from The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017, I started my Psychiatry Residency at The Ohio State University.

During my three plus years of training at OSU I have been allowed to really utilize the life skills I learned at Trinity and I have grown as a physician. For the past two years I have been elected Chief Resident, a position that most recently afforded me the experience of guiding  47 psychiatry residents through their training in the midst of COVID.  When my residency concludes, I have accepted a position with The Ohio State University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health as an attending physician in the Psychiatric Emergency Services Division. I will also be on faculty at the College of Medicine, teaching part of the Neuropsychiatry curriculum to OSU medical students.

I have been incredibly blessed to have been able to pursue these opportunities, and I am honored to be able to go to work everyday and serve my patients in their time of need. I cannot imagine pursuing a career in any other field."
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